3rd nature: Kura Puke

Kura Puke Image

“3-orange waharua a” is an earlier work by Kura Puke, who will present “Ka Wa Ka Wa” at 3rd nature. “Ka Wa Ka Wa” will be made for the exhibition.

The words on each of the exhibitor pages, will change as further discussion takes place and a greater awareness of the works results. We began by examining the works from the point of view of how some of them interconnect with each other in terms of content. This was so we could form a rationale of where in the collection might be a good position for the work.

Interconnections

The work of Kura Puke interconnects electronics through programming LED’s, and traditional Maori approaches to Toi (art), referencing tukutuku panels and other forms. “Ka Wa Ka Wa” is a reference to the native Kawakawa tree, and this is one connecting point to several works engaging with plants: the “Brickets” of Damian Stewart and Pierre Proske are located in trees, while Nigel Helyer’s work is located in Pukekura Park, as is Darko Fritz’s.

Another interconnective point is that the LED’s point to stars, and these are referenced in the works by Te Huirangi Waikerepuru and Nina Czegledy. Consequently this work by Kura Puke occupies a central interconnective point to the whole exhibition.

3rd nature: Josh Wodak

Wodak image

Josh Wodak. “2 degrees before 2028.” Digital image. 450mmx650mm. The image is based on projected sea level rise in the Pacific Ocean south of the equator. The red lines indicate less than two degrees increase in temperature (right hand side image) and higher than two degrees (left image).

Introduction

One of the underlying themes for the SCANZ 2013: 3rd nature project is that there is some urgency to bringing together the wisdom of diverse peoples, and bringing together diverse ways of doing things: global climate change is growing more significant every day. We must do something about this, and these works by Josh Wodak point directly at climate change.

Wodak has been researching the impact of rising sea levels on low lying Pacific Islands. This data is then projected onto the human form, and the red lines indicated sea level height.

Wanting to take part in world wide action to resolve global warming is why we have brought art, science, technology and indigenous knowledge together.

3rd nature: Anne Pincus

Anne Pincus image

Left: “Medusae”, 2010 Crocheted silver wire. Right: “Lior,” 2010 Crocheted fishing line.

Introduction

The subtle forms of jellyfish are delicately caught in these works, as if they were floating in air. These works relate to the computational model of sharks by Mike Paulin, the floating cyanobacteria of Hideo Iwasaki and the reference to animals in Janet Laurence’s work. Lighting is also a key factor.

One other reason for the inclusion of the Medusae was to reinforce a sense of multiple scales in the exhibition. In scaling terms, smallest are the bacteria by Hideo Iwasaki and the electronics of Pierre Proske and Damian Stewart, then there are these jellyfish by Pincus, the objects selected by Janet Laurence, up to the human scale of the Josh Wodak works and Mike Paulin’s shark. The landscape is referenced in the works by Tracey Benson, Darko Fritz, Nigel Helyer and Trudy Lane. Kura Puke’s LED works point to the stars, as does the galactic wind work by Nina Czegledy and collaborators, and finally “Te Taiao Maori (the Maori universe)” by Te Huirangi Waikerepuru has vast scales of space and time.

3rd nature: Mike Paulin

Shark image

Still image from “Computational Visualization of the Electromagnetic Sensory World of Sharks”

Introduction

While a computer model of a shark and the electromagnetic spectrum of the Earth may seem at odds with traditional Maori knowledge, as part of the Istanbul exhibition, connections were found. Embedded in the computer model is the scientific viewpoint that life emerged from water; the shark’s sensory system is integrated with it’s surroundings including the electromagnetic field which is an instance of integrated systems; and clearly the forces of energy are at play. These three themes – life emerging from water, integrated systems and ‘all is energy’ or energistic conceptions – can be seen in Te Taiao Maori by Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru.

3rd nature: Te Huirangi Waikerepuru

Te Taiao Maori

The chart of “Te Taiao Maori”, made for exhibition in Istanbul is in this version shown in Rio de Janeiro, animated with the star imagery of Paul Moss in the background.

Introduction

At Intercreate we are privileged to work with Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru. Dr Waikerepuru was been instrumental in getting Maori language – Te Reo – recognised, played a leading role in submissions on the radio spectrum (which led to Maori radio and Maori television) and currently is being pivotal in sharing knowledge among the world’s community. This is particularly important at this time, because many believe that listening to the indigenous voice on the subject of environment is central to resolving issues of climate change.

The animated version of Te Taiao Maori shares some of the traditional knowledge of Maori.

Wai: overview

Wai (for ISEA 2012 Albuquerque)

Photo of Wai by Jo Tito

Te Hunga Wai Tapu consists of: Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, Te Urutahi Waikerepuru, Ian Clothier, Jo Tito, Craig Macdonald, Julian Priest, Sharmila Samant, Leon Cmielewski, Josephine Starrs, Andrew Hornblow, Darren Robert Terama Ward, Johnson Dennison, Andrew Thomas, Dugal McKinnon, Sophie Jerram and Gordon Bronitsky. Aerial imagery courtesy of Land Information New Zealand.

There are five components to the Wai project. Te Iarere (communication across vast distances) involves data from a tree in Opunake, New Zealand Aotearoa. Tree voltage, temperature and light are measured. The live data readings control audio played in the exhibition space. Ian Clothier conceived and directed Te Iarere. Andrew Hornblow made the custom data sensors. Julian Priest and Adrian Soundy created the web interface. Darren Robert Terama Ward is a Maori musician who plays self made traditional instruments and Andrew Thomas is a Navajo musician specialising in the flute.

The second component is Pou Hihiri (the womb of the universe). The Pou is encapsulated in vinyl graphics, contains woven LED’s and has an audio component. Conceived and directed by Te Urutahi Waikerepuru, Craig Macdonald made the Pou graphics and structure with audio by Dugal McKinnon and Sophie Jerram.

Video is the third component. Indian video artist Sharmila Samant has contributed The Wasteland, an exploration of Wai in New Zealand. The Maori expression for ‘Who are you?’ is ‘Ko wai au’ which literally means ‘of whose water are you’ and is understood by Maori to mean ‘of whose ancestors are you?’ Jo Tito, a contemporary Maori artist currently studying science has made two videos of Wai, which play inbetween The Wasteland and Ruamoko. Ruamoko is made by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences in New Zealand Aotearoa, and explores both Maori and Western scientific views of earthquakes and volcanoes, the result of of flow phenomena in the Earth.

Julian Priest contributed Sink a model of anthropogenic ocean acidification. A conceptual work, carbon dioxide exhaust gasses are piped into a tank containing brine. Carbonic acid is formed, increasing acidity, which dissolves a scallop shell in the tank.

The fifth component is an animation and audio work by Leon Cmielewski and Josephine Starrs Puwai Rangi Papa.  Projected onto the floor, the words of Te Huirangi Waikerepuru are etched into the mountain landscape of his home – Taranaki Maunga (mountain).

Wai is supported by:

Matahiapo logo

ian clothier logo

 

 

Gordon Bronitsky

Andrew Hornblow

Wai graphic

ETITO – industry skills partner and leader
Andrew Hornblow is an inventor, engineer and National Moderator for ETITO, an industry training organisation for the electrotechnology and telecommunications industries. It is a standards setting body whose goal is to ensure that enough skilled people are available to work in these industries.

ETITO began the Bright Sparks programme more than 10 years ago to foster the skills of young people who are keen on technology. Through a website, an online forum, one-on-one mentoring and qualifications in schools, the Bright Sparks programme has unleashed the genius and creativity of hundreds of talented young people. Andrew Hornblow tours the country giving electronics workshops as part of Bright Sparks.

ETITO created Bright Sparks in 2000 to nurture those students who will be our nation’s future engineers, electricians and programmers. At its core, Bright Sparks is about bringing together people with an interest in technology so they can exchange ideas and information, and give encouragement to those who are just strating out. It’s also about getting young people to experience electronics directly through a project-based approach.

Hornblow has also provided customised – built from the ground up including the circuit board – electronics for creative projects Te Iarere, The Park Speaks, Taranaki Fence, and Haiku robots.

Josephine Starrs & Leon Cmielewski

Wai graphicLeon Cmielewski and Josephine Starrs (http://lx.sysx.org) are artists whose long-term collaboration has produced a variety of screen-based installations. Their recent media artworks are situated at the juncture of cinema, information visualisation, and data mapping, playing off the tensions between the large and small screen, and between information and sublime landscape.

Cmielewski is a Design Lecturer at the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at the University of Western Sydney. Starrs is a Senior Lecturer and Chair of Film and Digital Art at Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney of University.

Selected Recent Solo Exhibitions
2012 Incompatible Elements Canberra Contemporary Artspace
2011 Incompatible Elements, Auckland Festival of Arts, MIC | Toi Rerehiko, Auckland,NZ.
2010 Incompatible Elements, Performance Space, Carriageworks, Sydney.
2010 Land[sound]scape installation, Chinese Garden of Friendship, Sydney.
2007 Plaything installation, Sydney College of the Arts.
2007 Seeker installation, Artspace, Sydney, NSW.
2006 Seeker installation, Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide, S.A.
2002 Dream Kitchen, interactive animation, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane.

Selected Recent Group Exhibitions
2012 Wonderland, New Contemporary Art from Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan.
2011 Incompatible Elements, Sydney and Sookmyung Exhibition, Seoul, Korea
2011 Waterways, Urbanition, SFAC Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
2011 Waterways, Urbanition, Carriageworks, Sydney.
2011 a.k.a Utopia Now, MONA, Hobart, Tasmania.
2011 Kitchen Carnage<<<(((Mods&Hackers)))>>> Game Modification, Hacking,Patching, and Code-Based Practices within Contemporary Art, YoungProjects, Los Angeles, USA.
2010 Encoded, Art Taipei 2010, Taiwan.
2010 a.k.a Utopia Now Experimenta Media Art Biennale, Melbourne.
2009 sms origins, Big Screen project, Federation Square, Melbourne.
2008 Land[sound]scape installation. Guangzhou Triennial, Guangzhou, China.
2007 Seeker installation, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria.
2006 Seeker installation, Contemporary Commonwealth 06, ACMI Melbourne Vic.
2005 In the Line of Flight, Beijing, China. Floating Territories installation.
2004 Media_city Seoul 2004, Bio-Tek Kitchen, computer game modification.
2004 ISEA2004, Finland. Floating Territories installation.
2003 Bio-Tek Kitchen, House of Tomorrow, Experimenta, Black Box, Melbourne.
2003 Computerspiele von Kunstlerinnen, Hartware, Dortmund, Germany, Bio-Tek Kitchen,
computer game modification.
2003 Version03, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Bio-Tek Kitchen.
2002 Trace, installation, Sydney Records Centre, The Rocks, Sydney.
2002 Transmediale Media Arts Festival, Berlin, a.k.a. digital video.
2002 European Media Arts Festival, Osnabrük, Germany a.k.a. digital video.
2002 Contagion, Auckland, New Zealand. a.k.a. digital video.

Selected Published Reviews
J. Randerson RealTime issue#104 August/September 2011. Critical Flows: climates and peoples. Review of Incompatible Elements solo show at the Auckland Arts Festival, NZ
J. Sjaastad ArtRadar Asia interview March 2011. Words in Art: Australian artist Josephine Starrs maps rivers with poetry.
J. Hurrell EyeContact, March 2011 Review of Incompatible Elements solo show at the Auckland Arts Festival, New Zealand.
K. Gallasch RealTime issue #95 Feb-March 2010 Lake Mungo as Medium
Review of Land[sound]scape Chinese Garden of Friendship, Sydney.
A. Finegan Artlink Vol 27, no3, 2007 Databases: Recombinant Interactives.

Wai opening

Wai opened with a Tomo Whakaari, a dawn ceremony following Maori protocol at 6.53am September 19 at 516 Arts in Albuquerque. We were privileged to have Johnson Dennison, a Navajo Medicine Man contribute some Navajo ceremony.

Te Urutahi Waikerepuru, Dine’/Navajo musician Andrew Thomas and his partner, Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, Ian Clothier, Johnson Dennison, Gordon Bronitsky and Rosemary Dennison just before the ceremonies started.

Te Urutahi Waikerepuru, Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru and Ian Clothier outside 516 Arts. Te Huirangi is just about to start proceedings.

This photo was taken just after the ceremonies had ended, however during the Dine’/Navajo portion, everyone was asked to sit, either on chairs or on the floor. Johnson Dennison talked about what his words meant, then chanted a chant suitable to the occasion and recognising the land and the mountains. This was followed by prayer. The entire event was extremely special, particularly for an art work presented as part of an electronic arts event.