WAHI
The Hou Rongo exhibition was co-designed to combine Totohungatanga Moriori with innovative technology to support cultural revitalisation of New Zealand’s indigenous Moriori people of Rēkohu (Chatham Islands) and is supported by a team of scientists, musicians and media artists from Rēkohu and abroad.
The strong connection between ta imi Moriori and the natural world are brought into the modern world with film, photogrammetry, sound-design and scent reconstruction. 3D-printed replicas of the only two known historic Moriori flutes have been created, allowing visitors the opportunity to handle objects that would otherwise be unavailable.
Large video projections, paired with an immersive soundscape offer an ambient sense of place, evoking the feeling of being on Rēkohu amid the realms of the etchu (deities). A physical representation of the pou at Kōpinga marae displays Moriori iconography and features a video of the Karakii Rangitokona, the Moriori Creation Story, spoken in ta rē Moriori.
Visitors to the exhibition can immerse themselves the vibrance of Moriori culture through multi-sensory activities utilising physical, digital and extended reality components while enjoying rongo (songs), stories and hands-on wānanga (workshops).
‘There is something extraordinary about Rēkohu. From the gauzy softness of the light to the salty sweetness of the air to the rugged beauty of the landscape, it is unlike any other place I have been. There’s a reverential stillness to the place – even in a howling wind. But it is the Moriori people that are the heartbeat of the island.’
Gianna Savoie, Director of Filmmaking at Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo (University of Otago)