Aotearoa Art Fair introduces first sound sculpture

Large-scale sculptures by Māori and Pacific artists will be at the Viaduct Harbour until next week as part of the Aotearoa Art Fair Sculpture Trail.

“I would say the core of the trail is Māori [and] Pacific cultures,” fair director Sue Waymouth says.

Among those featured in the trail, artists Lisa Reihana and Ngaroma Riley explore Māori narratives in their works.

ANZAC by Lisa Reihana Photo: Maxine Seto Ma

Kapahaka Queen by Ngaroma Riley. Photo: Maxine Seto Ma

“[And] then, you’ve got Pacific artists like Sione Faletau, who has recorded the sounds around the Viaduct and the sea,” Waymouth says.

She says she directly approached Faletau to contribute to the trail.

“I’m Tongan in descent, and through my art practice I engage with and explore my Tongan heritage and upbringing, using art as that vehicle,” says Faletau.

Titled Lalava ki he Uho, or Connected to the Essence, Faletau's sculpture draws on sound recordings from the Waitematā Harbour, translated into kupesi patterns.

“I would say it’s a bridge between the digital and the tactile,” Faletau says.

“Digitally, I work with frequencies and sound waves, so that sculpture is the solidification of those frequencies and the audio wave picture of the Waitemata Harbour,” he adds.

The sculpture is activated by wind passing through the structure, drawing on Tongan ways of creating and experiencing sound inspired by the natural environment.

“When the winds of Waitematā Harbour pass through, it plays the sculpture,” he says.

The Sculpture Trail aims to encourage engagement with art beyond traditional gallery settings.

“We want people to come to the city, activate the city through art, make people proud of living in Tamaki Makaurau and feel great about experiencing art,” Waymouth says.

The installations remain on display across the waterfront until May 4.

Waymouth says the trail has expanded from nine installations last year to 25 this year.

“So, it’s really become a key part of what’s happening in the city."

She says the exhibition has also increased public engagement with the Auckland waterfront.

“We had [around] 500,000 people see it last year, and it increased foot traffic by 177 per cent in the Viaduct,”

Waymouth says international works are included in the trail for the first time this year.

The fair attracts a largely local audience, with 84 per cent of visitors coming from Auckland and 12.4 per cent travelling from outside the region, including international visitors.

The Aotearoa Art Fair Sculpture Trail is free to access from April 10 to May 4.