Hawke's Bay's Roaming Light and Fire Experience Is Returning for Nine Nights

The interactive walking experience will see animation, augmented reality, projection mapping and roaming performance art dotted across two kilometres.
Stephen Heard
May 10, 2021

Walk of Wonders was the "lockdown brainchild," of light artist Anthony van Dorsten and vineyard owner Henry Gordon. After a sell-out debut run across four nights in 2020, the Hawke's Bay light and fire festival is set to return against the stunning backdrop of Black Barn Vineyards this August, showcasing works from both New Zealand and international artists.

This year, the festival is extending to nine nights (5–15 August) and will invite ticket holders to explore an immersive two-kilometre walkway throughout the grounds. The narrative of Walk of Wonders 2021 will follow an 11-year-old girl as she adventures into a parallel time and dimension. It will come to life through animation, augmented reality, graphic illustration, projection mapping, roaming performance art, kinetic sculpture and fire. The interactive walking experience is expected to take between one and two hours.

A musical composition, developed specifically by EIT Music School founder Tom Pierard, will accompany the dynamic visual experience, and on Saturday, August 14 the program will culminate with pop-up live performances by local musicians and the composer himself.

The Walk of Wonders organisers will also be displaying large-scale contemporary artworks by renowned national artists in a dedicated gallery space named A Baptism of Pink. And it wouldn't be a Hawke's Bay festival without some first-class kai — take your pick from some of the region's best local food and beverage vendors as you explore the kaleidoscopic wonderland.

Walk of Wonders 2021 runs from 5–15 August, 2021 with gates open from 4.30pm. First release tickets cost $15 for children and $35 for adults. For more information, visit walkofwonders.co.nz  

Image: Bas van Est.

Published on May 10, 2021 by Stephen Heard
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