With our first indigenous public holiday 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). We were approached to design an installation for Māhuhu ki te Rangi Park, opposite Spark Arena. The activation had to educate people about Matariki, and draw people to the precinct.

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, embedded into aluminium extrusions, 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 lights undulate at different speeds, flowing, beating and flashing. At points, it carries the green energies of harakeke (flax), in the next instant a calm flowing river, and then the warmth of a fire burning. Housed entirely within a powder coated white aluminium structure the sides of the sculpture offer explanatory text about the nine stars as well as stories from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Placed in the heart of the Te Tōangaroa precinct at Māhuhu ki te Rangi Park, the installation is located within a circular footprint of park benches, creating a natural place to come together, reflect on the year that’s passed, and to look to the future.

The installation is grounded in Māori thinking, while being firmly planted in the urban context of Te Tōangaroa, offering up an opportunity for those who live in urban apartments to connect with Matariki in the context of their neighbourhood. Careful consideration to align with the official Matariki Public Holiday tohu was front of mind for us to ensure we build on the momentum our new indigenous national public holiday in a consistent and collective way.

A contemporary Matariki light installation that acknowledges the connection between whetū (stars) and whatu (weaving)