Interactive Auckland sculpture invites people to learn waiata, make artwork ‘sing’

Tarumai-i-Tawhiti Kerehoma Hoani and Graham Tipene performing at the new interactive sculpture in Auckland central.
Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

An interactive sculpture in central Auckland asks visitors to learn and perform waiata to make the artwork “sing”.

The sculpture, Waimahara, was first unveiled in an incomplete state in December last year as part of an $11 million facelift for the troubled Myers Park off Queen Street.

On Monday, more than six months after its unveiling, Auckland Council and artist Graham Tipene completed the work’s main attraction; a light and sound show triggered by singing waiata into the nearby microphone.

Modelled after the ancient Waihorotiu waterway running beneath Queen Street, the sculpture was suspended above a walkway through the Mayoral Drive underpass.

A microphone, designed to resemble a Kauri cone, sat at the park’s entrance.

“A lot of artwork you stand in front of and look at,” Tipene said.

“With this I wanted you to stand within and be totally surrounded with beauty, and for that beauty to enter through not only your eyes but your ears.”

Though the interactive element was originally planned to be added in March, Auckland Council manager of public art Hayley Wolters said it was delayed to coincide with Matariki.

“We were thinking March would be an ideal time, but when we spoke with our partners at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, we actually wanted to gear it more towards Matariki. We thought it was great timing.”

She said the sculpture itself cost between 10 and 15 percent of the $11m dedicated to revitalising Myers Park.

The sculpture by night.
Photo: Supplied / Auckland Council

Two original waiata were composed for the sculpture and would set off a flurry of lights and sounds when performed.

“When you come into the space and learn one of two bespoke waiata that have been gifted to us then the work will sing back to you,” Wolters said.

Tipene hoped the sculpture would encourage visitors to learn the waiata.

“When you sing it right and the artwork responds to you, it’s quite rewarding. It’s a hallelujah moment,” Tipene said.

“My son wouldn’t go home until he figured out how to get it going, and so we stayed here the other night and his auntie coached him through the notes. He got both songs and got to ignite the singing through the microphone, he was pretty happy.”

Tarumai-i-Tawhiti Kerehoma-Hoani composed the waiata alongside her siblings Moeahi Kerehoma and Tuirina Wehi.

“We were able to compose two items, one ‘Waimahara’ and the other ‘Waiora’. Waimahara ended up being the name gifted to this space in remembrance of the water, Waihorotiu, that flows beneath our feet today,” she said.

“The compositions speak about the importance of water, and acknowledges the relationship we have to water itself.”

Tarumai-i-Tawhiti Kerehoma-Hoani (pictured) composed the waiata alongside her siblings.
Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

She said the waiata were designed to be easy to learn for those unfamiliar with te reo.

“When composing lyrics, [we asked ourselves] are they easy enough to catch? Especially for those who may be new to te reo Māori, whose ears may be foreign to te reo. We had to design something that was simple for all speakers to learn.”

Singing alongside Tipene, Kerehoma-Hoani said the experience was unlike anything else.

“It feels lonely [to sing] until you’re able to awaken the system, the system then starts to sing along making it not so lonely,” she said.

“It’s quite frightening taking to a stage to sing, but with the artwork singing along with you it’s actually quite comfortable. It takes you to another space, with the way this place is lit up and you start to gain a deeper understanding.”

Kerehoma-Hoani hoped Aucklanders would try to learn the waiata and experience the artwork for themselves.