Description:

With Matariki continuing to grow in popularity amongst people of Aotearoa, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa were looking to encourage people to engage with the Māori New Year at their urban precinct – Te Tōangaroa (Quay Park).

For Māori, the woven cross hatches on tukutuku panel often represent stars shining in the night sky. We wanted to acknowledge this connection between whetū (stars) and whatu (Māori weaving traditions) in a modern, sculptural way.

The installation acts as a luminous urban beacon to mark the rising of Matariki. Strands of light weave together to represent the Matariki cluster in a single oversized star. A colourful animated lightshow flows through the strands, taking us on a journey through Te Iwa o Matariki (The Nine Stars of Matariki), in the correct order of their whakapapa (lineage) and in line with the colours of the official Matariki Public Holiday tohu (logo). The sides of the sculpture offer explanatory text about the nine stars as well as stories from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.