Wellington City Council
2024
A family friendly interactive star-tracer projection for Matariki celebrations reveals the celestial constellation of the waka of Tamarēreti and other pūrākau. People were invited to ‘connect the dots’ between the stars to discover more. Looking to the past, and stories of celestial navigation, this new work was designed to be fun yet educational.
In 2024 Wellington City Council sought a new projection work on the waterfront for the city’s Matariki celebrations, Ahi Kā. In its third year, the festival aims to be big, bold, and immersive with multiple experiences stretching around the waterfront.
The site was the ‘rear of Te Papa’, a large wall space with a ramp area making it ideal for projection viewing and interaction. The projection experience, like others around it, needed to raise awareness and education around Matariki and Te Ao Māori - and engage Wellingtonians of all ages.
Like many cultures, Māori used their traditional ecological knowledge conveyed through storytelling to create narratives around their constellations or kāhui whetū. The idea for the work was a concept connected to authentic whakatere waka (navigation) / tātai arorangi (astronomy) mātauranga Māori.
Developed in collaboration with Māori astronomer, educator and actor, Toa Waaka and artist designer David Hakaraia the work explores the narrative of te waka o Tamareretī in the stars, unlocking stories in the constellations through tracing your way along a pathway of glowing stars. A custom tablet touchscreen and plinth was used to generate user feedback that then connected to the projection as well.
