Interactive Outdoor Art Exhibit 'Kura Moana' Is Arriving on Wellington's Waterfront This Month

Some giant sea creatures are arriving on Wellington's waterfront, but no, you don't need to freak out if you work in the city's CBD. A series of interactive outdoor installations are popping up around the capital, as a way to uplift the city after an extremely tough couple of years.

While much of the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts was sadly canned under the country's current red status in the country's COVID-19 protection traffic light framework, the festival has pivoted to online and outdoor offerings, including new open air sculptural exhibit Kura Moana.

The work by festival artist Lisa Reihana consists of six outdoor installations arriving on February 25. Pōneke citizens will be able to lace up their sneakers and go on a treasure hunt around the waterfront to find each installation telling a local story in an exciting way — there's music, song, playful inflatable sculptures and even an augmented reality experience. Yes, a map is en route to help you track down each one.

"Kura Moana focuses on Te Moananui a-Kiwa, the great ocean, and its role as connector between Aotearoa and across all the Pacific nations," said Reihana. "I have created a series of installations that invite families and communities to discover iconic locations on the Wellington waterfront in new ways, to think about some of the local histories and stories that relate to this place.

"It's about travellers, those who dared to traverse the Pacific, people who seek something new, another life."

Anna Briggs

This outdoor family-friendly work will run for three weeks from Friday, February 25 until Sunday, March 20, allowing groups, friends and whānau to enjoy the experience safely and at their own pace.

Other festival exhibitions that can be safely shown at red light will also be on during the revised festival program, including gallery exhibitions Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings at City Gallery Wellington and intergalactic adventure experience Destination Mars at Te Papa. There are also a series of online offerings for those that would rather enjoy the festival safely at home.

Kura Moana will be on show on Wellington's waterfront from February 25 until March 20. For more information about the sculptures or artist Lisa Reihana, see the official festival website.