Tūrama Matariki Light Show will illuminate the street and buildings outside the Central City Library on Thursday and Friday nights as Auckland Council’s festival celebrating Māori New Year comes to a close.

It will be the premiere of the latest work by Ngāti Pāoa artist Janine Williams whose exciting and innovative installations have been one of the highlights of the Matariki 16.

Ngāti Pāoa is the host iwi for this year’s festival.

Janine launched the programme with Hauhake, a work that could only been seen once it was covered in water. It told the story of her ancestor’s waka that would take the harvest of their lands to be traded around Tāmaki. 

Thursday will see the premiere of Tauhere at the Auckland Libraries event. The 3D animation is a collaboration with projection artist Dan Davis exploring the links of whakapapa through bringing to life a series of patterns and motifs from Janine’s street art.