AUT celebrates Matariki through art

By Vanessa Elley (she/her) News Writer

AUT is highlighting students' interpretations of Matariki through visual art this year.

The university’s Office of Māori Advancement is hosting an art competition open to all current students, under the theme: ‘What does Matariki mean to you?’

Selected artworks will also be put on display as part of an exhibition during the week of Matariki.

AUT Māori liaison student advisor Jana Nee says art is a great way to convey people’s unique and personal understandings of Matariki.

“Even within Māoridom, different hapū and iwi have different understandings or different origin stories of Matariki, so we chose art because it’s like a beautiful way to convey their understandings of what Matariki is, not just as a holiday but the constellation itself, the tikanga that goes with Matariki.”

Nee says Matariki is for everyone, and that the organisers wanted to see people’s own experiences through the art they submit.

“The interpretation of what Matariki means to each person is going to be unique and we really just wanted to celebrate that diversity and like how rich the stories are that people have, and their experiences of that time.”

The art competition is just one of the university’s planned events, with a roster of others scheduled across the three different campuses.

These include a kawe aroha (remembrance service) at Ngā Wai o Horotiu Marae on July 13, followed by gardening and planting, mirimiri massage, raranga flax weaving, poi and te rākau, making a wish upon Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the wishing star, and more.

Matariki Observance Day was marked as an official public holiday for the first time last year when the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022 came into effect.

Nee says this is only the second year that AUT has done something larger-scale to celebrate Matariki, but the plans are growing every year.

“I feel like it gets bigger and expands every year so this is like a little bit more than we offered last year, and I can only see it getting bigger.”

Legendary photography exhibition back in Tāmaki

By Nic George (he/him) Chief Reporter

The World Press Photo Exhibition is returning to Auckland this month, following a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The exhibition will showcase the 30 winning images of the World Press Photo competition, in which 3,752 photographers submitted 60,448 photos.

The Auckland Rotary Club is organising the event and Smith & Caughey’s have provided their recently opened fifth floor of their Queen Street store from 22nd July to 20th August.

The profits from ticket sales go to the Rotary Foundation and the Turn Your Life Around youth development trust.

Director of the Rotary Club board Denise Moller said this has typically been their biggest fundraising event of the year.

"We are keen to have the exhibition, not only because it's an amazing exhibition for people to see, but we want to raise as much money as we can for charity."

Moller said they are excited to bring the event back for the loyal followers they have built since they began hosting the event in 2010.

The first day of the show will include a tour from one of the curators from the Netherlands before it opens for the public.

While there is no age restriction at the door, Moller would not recommend bringing children along.

"We actually don't recommend that children under the age of about 14 attend the exhibition because some of them can be quite mind provoking."

However, she says this is an opportunity for university students to better their understanding of the world.

"It's relevant I think for all students, not only to kind of see and understand what's going on in the world, but particularly for those that are doing media studies."

Student tickets will cost $15 per person unless you purchase them as a group of 10 for $120.

She said they are hoping to capture some added interest from international tourists who may be visiting for the FIFA Women's World Cup.