Lesson Content

1. Meet Kereama Taepa

   Kereama Taepa is a multi-disciplinary artist, we found him through his exhibition, ‘Transmission’ (2020), at Objectspace which delved into the tradition of innovation in te ao Māori. The relationship between musical instruments, Maori creation stories and the art of carving is approached through the exploration of digital technologies and practices. Through this work, Kereama creates tangible histories and cultures that showcase Māori in the engagement process of this discussion. 

   

   Kereama Taepa, Pākati Sonic, 2018, formed using 3D printing

2. The intersection of digital technologies and Māori cultural continuation creates a space where the communication of beliefs through generations can be shared. There is a strong visual language in Māori culture seen in motifs and design. However, it is sound that carries the weight of knowledge and gives life to cultures. Sound enables the cultivation of cultures, and with the technologies available to us now, we can transmit knowledge, history and culture through sound in an aim to solidify Aotearoa’s collective future. 

   

   Kereama Taepa, Pākati Pakemana, 2017, formed using 3D printing

'Transmission'

1. 

   Kereama Taepa, Te Uira and kōauau, and Te Uira, 2020

'Tohoro'

1. According to “Kereama Taepa,” 2020, Tohoro is an interactive, multi-sensorial sculptural installation found within Te Uruhi/Maclean Park on the Kāpiti Coast.

   Among consulting with local iwi and further research into the area, Taepa was provided with many rich narratives on which to base a sculptural work. The work is based on the customary pattern aramoana - a zig-zag motif commonly used across raranga, tukutuku, whakairo and kowhaiwhai. The pattern's name translates to "ocean path," expressing travel, a journey and migration as well as the ocean and waves.

   

   Kereama Taepa next to his sculpture Tohoro in Maclean Park

2. "Tohorā" is a common term used for whales and makes reference to the adjacent channel between the mainland and Kāpiti Island, Te Rauoterangi, where it is used as a migration path by whales and other sea life.

   Tohoro itself is a low lying concrete structure that is 9 meters in length, forming a physical pathway within the space it sits. The intention of Tohoro is for the public to walk across the pathway to engage with the work. At the halfway point, a motion detector triggers and rewards the walker with sound recordings of whales and other ocean life. At night, the path is lit with LED lighting embedded within the sculpture. 

   

   Kereama Taepa, Tohoro, 2020

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