Pounga Wai Events

LAUNCHING POUNGA WAI

Our project ‘Pounga Wai – A Digital River’ was opened as an art exhibition at Space Gallery in Whanganui as Virtual Awa on 02 February 2022. Viewers were able to experience our mana whenua designs as an investigation into Whanganui design history through the lens of procedural animation and light as narrative. It is a new way of interacting with Maori design.
Artist’s statement: ‘This is an introduction to Pounga Wai – a digital river. I have begun building and testing procedural animations that are based on the Whanganui River, Te Awa Tupua. This data sculpture system can eventually be rendered in real time as a work driven by scientific information. The immersion of mana-whenua design within the digital awa is an investigation into our design history as a dialogue between new media technology and Te Ao Māori. No Te Ao tawhito ki Te Ao hou. A dynamic river current – koriporipo – challenges a wall of korero- a new kind of space. Non-conforming and endogenic. Experimental, yet meditative. This is contemporary narrative revealed through animation. A moving, complex, transitory korero of light.’

TE TAIAO INSPIRATION

A new work was created through the process of building Pounga Wai – a sound driven procedural animation. A study of the dawn chorus was carried out at Tarapuruhi, Bushy Park, Whanganui resulting in an expansive collection of recorded birdsong. From this we looked at birdcalls as an indicator of the health of Te Taiao in different rohe. A comparison of the birdsong of the Whanganui region around the city and the birdsong at Tarapuruhi resulted in a collaborative work for the Pounga Wai project – ‘Emergence’ was the title given to the resulting output procedural animation. It was shown at the exhibition ‘Huritau’, at Whanganui Community Arts Centre 11 July – 26th July 2022.

TE TUHINGA

Pounga Wai – A Digital River is heading to Te Tuhinga, the creative hub and co-working space initiated by Te Manu Atatu Maori business network. Public will be able to view the output work which is a data driven procedural animation created over the past year after many hours of coding, research and experimental work. It is an interactive immersive artwork which engages viewers to think about the natural world with a focus on our Whanganui River. Hopefully this project initiates not only conversation but also learnings about our Taiao. It will be on display during the opening hours of Te Tuhinga. This project continues to build and reach into other areas of research and discovery around rivers and mana whenua design.

Presentation to Ohu Rangahau ki Whanganui

We presented Pounga Wai – a Digital River to a group of Maori researchers, Ohu Rangahau ki Whanganui at Te Tuhinga, Backhouse, 10 February, 2023. The group is facilitated by Petera Hudson, Doctoral student & researcher at Te Putahi a Toi, Massey University.

We exhibited iterations of Pounga Wai from the beginning to the latest works with explanations about process and concept narratives. We answered any questions and sought advice from distinguished Professor Graham Hingangaroa Smith on particular concepts concerning our project. He was extremely generous as always. We thank Ngaire from Te Tuhinga, Petera Hudson, Professor Graham Smith and all attendees for giving us their time.

We were part of a group exhibition held at Sarjeant Gallery.  He tohu pea – a show that was the last one to be held at the Taupo Quay location.

‘Rangitekiwa’ has been described as a transcendent space in which wairua are dispersed as stars. Puanga (Rigel) is a blue supergiant- a star in the Orion constellation. Puanga is seen as a time for ritual cleansing & wānanga. This work has been made during the time that we begin to see the signs of Puanga. 

‘Rangitekiwa’ is a work that questions our human relationship with the natural world. We have been presented with many signs that are beyond alarming. For this digital artwork, we use scientific data (taken from a recent coronial mass ejection & solar flare event- April 2023) to drive the particle elements, presented as star formation, in a dark cloud interior. Rangitekiwa, in this work, is a celestial space energised by a solar event. 

We would like to acknowledge Che Wilson for sharing his matauranga in relation to Rangitekiwa and Puanga. The korero that he has generously given in other forums has been the inspiration for this work.

Pounga Wai – a Digital River was presented at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. We were hosted at the International Arctic Research Centre (Akasofu Building) by Hajo Eicken, IARC Director, Professor of Geophysics. Curator of Birds Kevin Winkler gave us a tour of the impressive Museum of the North. Arlo Davis (from Nome and Selawik) shared his ancestral knowledge about net-making. For more on our trip to Alaska see the link below.

We appreciate the manaakitanga from all the staff and students.

Pounga Wai – a Digital River was presented at the Campbell Creek Science Centre, Anchorage, Alaska. We held a workshop afterwards which only lasted one hour. We asked participants from the audience to submit some designs to be used in as a collaborative animated work. 

Donna Bach presented a design during the workshop. The design is a representation of a Yupik (indigenous Alaskan tribe) concept – ‘Ellam Yua‘ (translated here as Universal person – understanding that there is a more indepth meaning for this concept given by Donna Bach and people affiliated to the Yupik tribe who were present at the workshop). Thanks to Donna and others for sharing this beautiful design and the associate narrative. The sound is the bird call of the Bald Eagle, retrieved from the Bureau of Land Management site. This bird call drives the movement of the animation. This is a code and sound driven animation with a sentinel, indigenous design element embedded within the work. An ancient cultural marker from the native Alaskan people, the Yupik. Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa, te mana whenua – we thank and acknowledge the native tribes of Alaska, especially Donna Bach for contributing this beautiful design. 

We would like to thank Luise Woelflein, CCSC public programs coordinator and all of the audience members who participated in the workshop. We would also like to acknowledge James Temte for kindly giving us a bespoke tour of the mural artworks (& two of his own works) around Anchorage after our presentation.

We would also like to thank Adelheid Herrmann from IARC for visiting us and sharing her knowledge with us while we were in Anchorage.

Ngā mihi