Whanganui’s history of Māori engineering and creative adaptation will be explored by Whanganui Regional Museum curators during the inaugural Festival of Design Aotearoa.
The 10-day festival, running until October 25, features more than 50 events celebrating Whanganui’s recognition as New Zealand’s first UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) City of Design.
The festival was launched last night, opening today [Friday] with a two-day industry-focused international design summit, along with exhibitions, interactive creative events, theatre and public installations across Whanganui and Palmerston North.
In a public talk, Kaihāpai Taonga Māori / Curator, Taonga Māori, Eruera Rerekura, and Kaihāpai Taonga / Curator, Social and Natural History, Maeve Egan, will examine how innovation has shaped Whanganui over centuries.
Rerekura will focus on Māori design heritage and environmental knowledge along Te Awa Tupua (the Whanganui River), including the development of eel weirs, traps and storage baskets.
“Along Te Awa Tupua, knowledge of river currents, seasonal patterns and tuna migration informed the design of pā auroa (eel weirs), hīnaki (eel traps) and korotete (eel storage baskets),” Rerekura said.
“These are examples of how mātauranga Māori, practical skills and collective effort enabled communities to respond creatively to their environment and changing opportunities.”
His presentation will also examine the cultural site Pākaitore and its role as a trading ground, and Kāwana Mill on the middle reaches of the river as an example of Māori enterprise and adaptation to new technology.
Egan will explore how design has influenced Whanganui’s development and identity, including its architectural and industrial heritage and its artistic and creative communities.
The curators’ presentations will consider how the ingenuity of earlier generations continues to influence the city and has contributed to its designation as New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Design.
The city’s design heritage is also documented in the museum’s long-term exhibition, Whanganui Mūmū – Whanganui By Design.
Created to celebrate the City of Design designation, the exhibition features objects and stories spanning Māori artistry and innovation alongside Te Awa Tupua, the city’s architecture and the work of contemporary artists and designers.
The Festival of Design Aotearoa has been organised by Whanganui District Council staff, with funding of $300,000 from the Government Events Boost Fund, $100,000 from Whanganui District Council and $30,000 from Palmerston North City Council.
The museum talk on Friday, 23 October, is free to attend at the museum’s Davis Theatre.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
