Pushing at the boundaries of contemporary Māori art, Ōtairongo is a world-first exhibition by sound artist Maree Sheehan (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whāoa). In this solo show, Sheehan seeks to interpret and represent the identity of wāhine Māori through audio-portraiture, experienced within the realm of Hine Raukatauri. 

Using only sonic elements as her palette, each portrait captures the wairua and mauri of three mana wāhine Māori – Moana Maniapoto, Te Rita Papesch and Ramon Te Wake. More than a simple interview or storytelling, this installation uses immersive binaural sound-capture technologies to combine kōrero, waiata, the marae, whānau, and whenua to create a 360° sound experience. These works are presented in darkness, elevating aural perception and approaching a renegotiation of how wāhine Māori might be interpreted and represented. 

The brief was to design a visual identity for the exhibition. Because the artworks are purely sound-based, our approach was to create a visual portrait in response to the audio portraits. This portrait would become the hero visual element for the show. 

We created a contemporary portrait of Hine Raukatauri, the Māori goddess of flute music. In nature, Hine Raukatauri is portrayed as the case moth and in traditional Māori crafts, her cocoon shape is reflected in the pūtōrino. When the pūtōrino is played, it is said to open a portal to the spirit world so we can hear the voice of Hine Raukatauri. 

The image aims to reflect the audio energy of Ōtairongo. The use of dynamic light reflects the wairua and mauri of wāhine. The image is captured in a single long-exposure photograph: a wahine stands at the centre, spinning a series of LEDs to create a 360° performance that wraps the central wahine in a cocoon of light. The resulting image is a portrait that reflects the technical innovation of the show itself. 

The photograph is paired with subtle typography that respects the image and formatted to reflect rhythmic sound patterns. We created a range of exhibition collateral, including posters, postcards, catalogues, flyers and exhibition signage. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we created an Ōtairongo online experience as an artistic offering in the uncertain times of lockdown, giving people the opportunity to listen and experience the audio portraits from home.

The website interactions are designed to be very subtle and calming, to ease the viewer into a comfortable state in order to soak up the seven minute long portraits. On landing, the mauri and wairua of the portrait is brought to life through a subtle canvas animation. The linear journey is designed to ease people into the artworks and simple text prompts help to guide the experience. The organic transition into the audio portraits is emphasised through the ambient canvas animations that accompany the audio. These animations echo the physical exhibition and help to immerse the viewer. Respect is given to the artworks while they are playing. All other content disappears and there are no playback controls, emphasis is placed on simply enjoying the audio portraits.