Five reasons to get out and about during ArtWeek
Published: Thursday 5 October, 2023
From October 6 - 15, the city will once again celebrate the arts with ArtWeek in the City Centre, an annual art programme run by Heart of the City, that Auckland Live are excited to be a part of. Scroll down to see 5 different ways you can enjoy ArtWeek in Aotea Square and Aotea Centre this year.
Check out the full ArtWeek programme
Waharoa by Selwyn Muru
📍 Aotea Square
As you approach Aotea Square, make sure you come through the magnificent ‘Waharoa’ created by Selwyn Muru in 1990. Stand under this 7 metre high gateway onto Aotea Square and look for the many details and features – Tamanuiterā (God of the Sun), Tangaroa (God of the Sea), Tāne Mahuta (God of the Forest), Tāwhirimātea (God of the Elements), Whetū me te Marama (the crescent moon and stars), birds, fish, the nuclear disarmament symbol, a cross, a heart and arrow and even a dog!
Late Night Art | Thu 12 Oct
📍 Aotea Square and Aotea Centre
This year, there are over 50 pop-up exhibitions happening all over the city centre for Late Night Art. Make sure you stop by Aotea Square, where Tempo Dance Festival is presenting pop-up live performances throughout the night, interact with the Capture: Digital Dance Showcase 2023 and come inside Aotea Centre, open till 9pm to explore our artworks after dark.
Capture: Digital Dance Showcase | Thu 12 - Sat 21 Oct
📍 Aotea Square
Presented by Tempo: Te Rerenga O Tere in partnership with Auckland Live, dance pieces submitted by over 40 artists will be shown on the Auckland Live Digital Stage in Aotea Square, as well as live pop-up performances and interactive experiences. Keep a look out for the evolving programme, where more events will be added closer to the launch date.
Ihi by Lisa Reihana
📍 Aotea Centre
Make sure you come inside Aotea Centre during Late Night Art to see this incredible large-scale digital work by Lisa Reihana. Ihi fills two floor-to-ceiling spaces in the Aotea Centre foyer, enthralling viewers with the story of Papatūānuku and her son Tāne, playing out on 65 square metre digital screens. Best enjoyed standing under the screens on Level 2 of Aotea Centre.
The Aotea Tapestry by Robert Ellis
📍 Aotea Centre
Hanging between the two Ihi works is the ‘The Aotea Tapestry’ - designed by Robert Ellis and made at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop in Melbourne. Measuring 11.6 metres by 6.4 metres, and weighing more than 260 kgs, the tapestry took six weavers nearly two years to complete. This wool and silk tapestry was one of the country's largest public commissions at the time it was created.
