2019 Te Toi o ngā rangi – Christchurch Art Gallery

TE TOI-O-NGĀ-RANGI – CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY     |     2019

Architect and Visual Artist: Daniel K Brown

Exhibition: Wheriko – Brilliant! | After Dark Event
Date: 24 May 2019, 7:30pm – 11:30pm
Digital Animation | 0:07:12:19, 25.00 fps, 1920 x 1080
Site: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Christchurch, New Zealand
Soundscape ©Mark K. Johnson

Te Toi-o-ngā-rangi re-presents the architecture of the Christchurch Art Gallery as the 12 mythological tiers of the Māori heavens. The work is designed to fill the auditorium space of the Christchurch Art Gallery, re-conceiving and re-presenting its architecture as the twelve mythological tiers of the Māori heavens.

In Māori mythology, the twelve heavens each have their own series of heavenly bodies. Te Toi-o-ngā-rangi (also known as Tikitiki-o-nga-rangi or Rangi-tikitiki) is the uppermost of the twelve heavens and the most sacred of them all.*

For the Christchurch Art Gallery’s exhibition Wheriko–Brilliant!, architect Daniel Brown was commissioned to produce Te Toi-o-ngā-rangi by Christchurch Art Gallery to activate its auditorium space for the evening of the ‘After Dark’ event held on Friday 24 May 2019. The exhibition and event’s timing coincide with Matariki, the Māori new year. The word ‘Wheriko’ means to sparkle or dazzle and several of the works refer to the stars and sky, or prismatic light effects. Visitor Programmes Coordinator Amy Marr organised the ‘After Dark’ special event on the evening of Friday 24 May. It included Te Toi-o-ngā-rangi, performances, tours and the opportunity to view the exhibition throughout the evening.

Acknowledgements: Te Toi-o-ngā-rangi was created in Adobe After Effects (Trapcode Particular), and it was donated for  viewing over the single evening of the Wheriko – Brilliant! After Dark event. The intention was to bring even more magic and light to the wonderful, illuminated community of Christchurch and its many visitors. It owes everything to the incredible online tutorials and designs provided by Voxyde, SonduckFilm and others, who offer their inspirational designs to be used as teaching tools for others to learn from and build upon. Support these fine digital artists by following their internet tutorial sites!

* Sources: http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/lww/lww3.html and http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowYest-t1-body-d1-d4-d3.html