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ABSTRACT
This paper examines the relationship between First World War Centenary commemoration and state-sponsored nationalism in New Zealand. In the national museum’s Gallipoli exhibition, commemoration shifts from its traditional emphasis upon military sacrifice for the nation. Film-related special effects technology promotes individual affective identification with suffering and loss, but also extolls the ingenious achievements and talents of both New Zealand soldiers historically, and Gallipoli’s producers. National identity is aligned with state promotion of creative and technological innovation as central to economic growth. The national myth-making of Gallipoli locates a technologically sophisticated modern New Zealand in the historical experience of the War.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Images from the Exhibition, including all those discussed in this article, are available following links from: https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/exhibitions/gallipoli-scale-our-war.
2 The Dominion Museum, previously New Zealand’s national museum closed in 1996, when the new site of New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, was established on the Wellington waterfront. The Great War exhibition was housed in the Dominion building until it closed in 2019.
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Notes on contributors
Katherine Smits
Katherine Smits teaches political theory and politics at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Her research focuses on multiculturalism, cultural identity and nationalism.