Description:

“If people care to listen, such stories still seep through the land.”- Moana Jackson

Located on the coast of Island Bay, Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, ‘Rhythm of Place' is a sculptural light installation and an instrument of connection to narratives of place—past, present and future. The installation was designed in collaboration with the topographical patterns and landforms of Island Bay, unlocking narratives trapped in time. The intent is to provide a voice for the site to facilitate its own storytelling of complex relationships. Due to the rapid urbanisation of Island Bay in the early 1900’s, much of the whenua’s culturally significant sites were built over, trapping narrative in the land, between layers of time. ‘Rhythm of Place' would be further activated by knowledge holders such as mana whenua storytellers and archaeologists, affording a deeper engagement through layers of space and time.

‘Rhythm of Place’ consists of a floating platform positioned in the bay, made from a corten steel and totara wood framing. External panels line the sides of the platform and extend above and below the horizontal path. A long ramp connects the platform to land and attached to the linear portion of the platform are two legs that veer off to the left. Cuts in the platforms paneling provide direct viewports to sites of tangata whenua and precolonial inhabitation and offer windows to past landscapes, each view enhanced relationships between the body, materials and light. The shape of the platform was designed to offer an optimal view of all locations. The vertical heights of the exterior panels reflect section cuts through the bay, a total of six cuts for each side of the three legs of the platform. These panels differ in materiality to activate different visual effects which in turn impact how the design is experienced. Corten steel was chosen for its weathering properties, responding to the exposed conditions of the southern coast. The native, totara timber structure and panels will age, wear and breakdown over time and will eventually be returned to the land. ‘Rhythm of Place’ is located right on the water’s edge to allow for interaction between body, water and site. Tidal data is translated into a tangible display of light and story. Fluctuations of the current play out across the structure activated by tidal sensors located around the bay, to create differing intensities of light and shadow. As the tide recedes the shadows soften, as the tide rises the shadows become darker and more defined. Floating sections of the walkway rise and fall with the waves and tide, translating the movement of moana into embodied sensation. High strength bungee rope fastens the floating platform to the foundation structure and concrete deadman’s are used to anchor fluid sections to the sea floor. The installation becomes a body for the whenua and moana to tell their own stories, attuning us to the intangible qualities of the site.