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15 Jun - 21 JulFree
From the depths of the night
Came forth the first glimmer of light.
Space, form and understanding ensued
To provide a full and conscious light of life and meaning
TŪRAMA
Whakahou, whakaora, whakamana
Ngā Wai o Horotiu
From the karanga of Hape welcoming early waka voyagers, to the open invitation from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to William Hobson to establish the settlement of Auckland in 1840, to becoming the beating heart of contemporary Tāmaki Makaurau, the Wai Horotiu valley has always been a place renowned for the extension of manaakitanga, welcome and hospitality to visitors, to guests and to ourselves.
Ancient citadels standing above, the bountiful river flowing along the valley floor to meet Te Waitematā, abundant ngahere teeming with life and song, generations of footprints left by Mana Whenua over millenia, the enduring presence of kaitiaki Horotiu; all part of a native and natural landscape now lost beneath the modern city centre’s urban form, removed from our sight.
But not from our memories. Or our future.
Tūrama is an expression of the power, mana and mauri of place and space, of what has been lost in the creation of the colonised urban form of Auckland.
A progression of freestanding light installations leads viewers from the original shoreline to the town hall. Existing mahi toi from Māori arts icons are acknowledged and celebrated alongside new work through light, form and sound to invoke the physical and metaphysical domains that remain present and prompt deeper, collective kōrero of, and about, space and place.
Tangaroa and Tāne Mahuta greet visitors at the entrances to their domains at Te Wehenga, bridging their traditional meeting point at the original coastline, the interface of wai māori and waitai. A diversity of manu and their chorus remind us that this valley was a place of natural abundance and wellbeing, with forms derived from metaphor which continue to be used in tauparapara and whaikōrero, connecting all to place and its enduring relevance. Horotiu stands to recognise the mauri of Ngā Wai o Horotiu, and in rememberance of the tūpuna whose remains were uplifted and removed from this area to enable the construction of the town hall.
Tūrama recognises the importance of ensuring that the stories that we tell each other enable an understanding of difference and diversity, allowing us to celebrate that which is common and accessible to all.
Designed and created in celebration of the national recognition of Matariki, but with the foresight to be re-deployable for other kaupapa Māori in the future,
Tūrama brings light to this place as another marker on our collective movement from Auckland to Tāmaki Makaurau, the place desired by many.
A collaborative work from mana whenua creatives, Ataahua Papa and Graham Tipene, working alongside Angus Muir Design and Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau, Tūrama is an open invitation to all in Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond to revisit, remember, re-imagine, and refresh the mauri of the waters of Wai Horotiu valley.
I te pō tiwhatiwha
ka pakaru mai te hinātore o te ao mārama.
Ka whai ko Ātea, ko Kiko me Māramatanga
E tiaho mai ai te whānuitanga o te māramatanga,
ki ngā koiora katoa o te ao tūroa
Local tip
He tīwhiri mō te rohe
Don't forget to have a look down some of the side streets and laneways – it is worth checking them out.
Getting there
Te huarahi ki reira
Take a bus to Queen Street and get off at one of the bus stops located along the street. Catch a train and get off at the Waitematā Station, which is located at the end of Queen Street or if you’re driving, park at The Civic car park and walk down Queen Street or park at Downtown Car Park and walk-up Queen Street.
More info
He pārongo atu anō
