Date:  13 October 2021

She is the designer of a collaborative art installation ‘EMOH’ exploring the environment on the Pōrangahau coast. This immersive exhibit, part of Wild Creations (a joint initiative between DOC and Creative New Zealand), is a series of light boxes featuring her photography (Transmit) from the area. Hand-folded by origami artist Juliet Black (Blacklight), the experience is accompanied with environmental recordings by sound artist Dr Thomas Voyce (Rhombus).

Wild Creations gives artists the chance to connect with the people, stories, and challenges of our unique environment and cultures. 

Pōrangahau School tamariki have contributed creative drawings and words featuring on two of the folded vertical light boxes. They agree: “Our Awa Taurekaitai and our Moana Te Paerahi are very special to us. They give us kai, happiness, and whānau fun times. They give us a place to play, a place to think and a place to connect with those who have gone before us. They are our taonga – our past, our present and our future.”

These places are all part of a unique natural ecosystem rich with biodiversity, where sand dunes and wetlands provide shelter and sanctuary for coastal bird life.

Sarah Hunter says: “These remarkable places deserve aroha and protection. We hope they will be safe for future generations to enjoy and for the natural ecosystem to flourish.”

“Pōrangahau is a special coastal environment well worth the attention of this collaborative project sponsored by DOC and Creative New Zealand. We know this coast and estuary area is one of our top district 'hotspots' for coastal bird biodiversity, as well as being an area cherished by locals and visitors,” says Chris Wootton, Senior Community Ranger, DOC Hawke’s Bay District.

“Wild Creations helps enable people to experience and understand the special places in nature we identify with in Te Matau a Maaui/Hawke’s Bay. We’re pleased to have EMOH and Sarah Hunter highlight the special nature of Pōrangahau.”

The exhibition launches on Thursday, 21 October, and runs over Labour Day Weekend, with free entry on Saturday 23 October. Rhombus Sound System will accompany the show with a DJ set on the final night.

Background information

Event page on Facebook

Wild Creations is run by Creative New Zealand and DOC and gives artists the chance to experience New Zealand’s unique nature through a variety of conservation experiences.

Artists can choose from a range of DOC experiences to incorporate into their proposal, from visiting a place of significance to Māori, to getting involved in the protection of threatened species, to immersion experiences in island coastal or remote habitats.

Sarah Hunter established Transmit in 2003, an ideas and content generator company specialising in video storytelling and content.

Juliet Black is a graphic designer a photographer, and origami artist behind the range of lightshades in the exhibit.

Dr Thomas Voyce is a Lecturer, Composition, at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington, and a founding member of the Wellington-based roots band Rhombus. 

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