Walk wanawana walk

Artwork

CreatorKelly, MadisonNameWalk wanawana walkDate Made2023Object TypeSculptureMedium DescriptionMixed mediaObject NumberLU336Dimensions1900x3340mm [as currently installed]Further information"The kupu Māori wanawana holds several meanings, including “shiver, trill, quiver, fear, thrill” ... the work is built around the sensory feedback of touch and vibration to emulate a taniwha-like “shiver and hiss” installation." - Madison Kelly (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Pākehā)

Madison Kelly’s interactive installation, Walk wanawana walk, provides a sensory experience of “wanawana”. Depicting the scale pattern of the Canterbury Grass Skink’s head and eye, the installation features metallic scales etched with detailed field drawings from Selwyn’s waterways alongside illustrations of skinks and their habitats. The metallic scales are punctured with rivets and reference sizzle symbols that drummers use to create rattling and hissing sound. This experience is a mihi to hiss and scuttle of the atua of reptiles, Tūtewanawana, whose grandfather is Takaroa, atua of the sea. Reptiles in te ao Maōri are also connected to taniwha, guardians of bodies of water. In Waikirikiri Selwyn, Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere is home to the taniwha Tūterakiwhanoa.

Kelly invites you to explore a tactile experience of the features Waikirikiri Selwyn’s reptilian habitats; the Tī Kouka tree’s flowers, tussocks providing sustenance, sun-warmed river stones, and the vital water’s edge. It highlights the importance of Selwyn’s braided rivers and their margins—key habitats for native geckos and skinks threatened by environmental changes.

In te ao Māori, mokomoko are kaitiaki, or guardians, of their environments. In ecology, they serve as bioindicators of ecosystem health; their presence indicates that their ecosystem is healthy while their absence indicates that ecosystem is struggling. Kelly underscores the interconnectedness of waterways and the diverse life they sustain, reminding us that these ecosystems are deeply intertwined whakapapa.

Glossary of Māori Terms:

Kupu Māori - Māori word
Mihi – acknowlegement
Atua - deity, ancestor with continuing influence
Te ao Maōri - the Maōri world
Tī Kouka – Cabbage tree
Mokomoko – native lizards
Whakapapa - genealogyArtwork CopyrightAll Rights ReservedArt CollectionLincoln University Art CollectionKeywordsPlants | Te Wao nui a TāneEcologySouth Island Te WaipounamuAnimals | karareheVegetation | Te Wao nui a TāneWater | wai

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Walk wanawana walk

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