Matariki Ahunga Nui 2025

Wāhi auaha – awheawhe toro noa
Creative space - Drop-in workshops

Te Ātea I North Atrium

10am–5pm

Whakanuia te kaupapa o Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki 2025 – Matariki ki te Wai – mā te whai i te ia o ngā moana me ngā awa mā roto i ngā mahi auaha utukore. Rarangahia he kete, waihangatia rānei he momo tārai takutai.. Tuhia ō moemoeā, ā, waihangatia he tukutuku mō tō tau aroha.

He utukore ngā mahi katoa.

Celebrate the theme of the 2025 Matariki Festival – Matariki ki te Wai – by embracing the rhythms of our oceans and rivers through a range of free, creative activities. Make a kete or coastal sculptural form, write down your moemoeā (aspiration) and weave a tukutuku panel about a loved one.

Tamariki me ngā Whānau
Kids and Whānau 

Connect with paintings of tūpuna Māori (ancestors) through craft. Weave a tukutuku panel that says something about someone you love, yourself or your hopes for the year ahead. Grab a Kids & Whānau activity booklet and set off on an exciting journey to find the nine whetū (stars) in the Matariki cluster. They are hiding in their favourite artworks!

All activities are free. Click through to find out more.

 

Wastelands – Artist Talk with Brett Graham

 Ground floor - Gibbs Gallery

10.30-10.45am & 11.30-11.45am

Join us for a special artist talk with Brett Graham on the opening day of his powerful new sculpture, Wastelands, 2024, at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, its first presentation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Brett Graham is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists. His work is deeply rooted in the vibrant contemporary Māori art movement, which has fostered a unique Māori visual language that speaks with both local and global Indigenous themes.

Wastelands was first shown at the Venice Biennale in 2024. The striking sculpture reimagines a traditional carved pātaka (storehouse) on wheels, symbolising mobility, change and the displacement of Māori from ancestral lands. Historically, the pātaka stood on poles as a shelter for food and treasured items and was adorned with intricate carvings showcasing the wealth and prestige of the iwi (tribe). In Wastelands, Graham replaces traditional pātaka patterns with eels, honouring this vital food source and its significance to his Tainui heritage. He draws attention to a pivotal moment in history: the 1858 Waste Lands Act, enacted by the colonial government to redefine rich swamp lands as ‘waste’ to open the door for agricultural development. Through this artwork, Graham powerfully addresses the resulting degradation of the Waikato River and its surrounding wetlands and illustrates that for Māori, these eel habitats hold a value as significant as goldmines – rich in culture, tradition and connection to the land.

Two 15 minutes talks will take place within the exhibition space. No bookings are required. Please note that the talks are standing events, with a limited number of stools available for those who need them.

Image credit: Brett Graham Wastelands, 2024. Installation: 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere. Photo by Marco Zorzanello. Courtesy: La Biennale di Venezia

HĪKOI – A Taane Mete Performance

Grey Gallery & Te Kawau Gallery

12–12.45pm & 2–2.45pm

Ka hoki mai a Taane Mete mō tētahi whakaaturanga Matariki ki te Toi o Tāmaki. I tēnei tau, kua whakakotahi a Taane i tētahi rōpū ringatoi kia āwhina ki te whakatū i tāna mahi hou, arā ko HĪKOI.

Ka kōtuia te kanikani, te waiata, te puoro mataora me te toikupu i tēnei whakaaturanga, i whakaaweahia e te whetū Tupuārangi me te hīkoi i te Noema o 2024. I HĪKOI, ka honoa ngā whetū e iwa o Matariki me ngā rā e iwa o te hīkoi, ā, ka tohu i te kotahitanga me ngā hononga i waenganui i ngā atua, te tangata, te whenua, te wā me te kaupapa.

Ka tohua e tēnei whakaaturanga, me mātua whakaora i a tātou anō, i roto hoki i ā tātou mahi.

We welcome back Taane Mete for another Matariki performance at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. This year, Taane brings together a team of creatives to assist in the creation of his new work, HĪKOI.

Dance, waiata, live music and poetry constellate in this performance, inspired by the star Tupuārangi and the peaceful protest hīkoi (march) of November 2024. In HĪKOI the nine stars of Matariki and the nine-day march intertwine, symbolising solidarity and the cosmic wellspring of relationships between atua (gods), people, place, space, time and purpose.

This performance signifies the importance of refueling ourselves and our mahi (work).

Click through to find out more.

 

Tūtaki ki ngā kaihanga

Meet the Makers

Kauhanganui | Ground Level - Main Foyer

3 - 4.30pm

Hono atu ki a Emma, te Kaiwhakahaere Mahi Kaihoko, i a ia e kōrero ana ki a Cautney rāua ko Raiha nō Raiha Rongoā, me Helen nō ŌKU New Zealand. Whakamātauhia ngā tī rongoā nō ngā rākau māori pērā i te kawakawa me te kūmarahou, ā, ako mai i a Helen rātou ko Cautney, ko Raiha mō te āhua o tā rātou whakauru i te mātauranga Māori ki roto i ā rātou mahi pakihi.

Join the Gallery’s Retail Operations Manager, Emma, in kōrero with Cautney and Raiha from Raiha Rongoā and Helen from ŌKU New Zealand. Come and try healing teas made from native plants such as kawakawa and kūmarahou and learn how Helen, Cautney and Raiha weave mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) into their business practices.

Cautney and Raiha started their kawakawa business six years ago, inspired by a personal journey of healing within their whānau. When Cautney’s brother, who has diabetes, was badly burnt, kawakawa brought him incredible relief and recovery. Unable to find anyone in their family making rongoā, they decided to reconnect with their roots and began learning from their whānau. Along the way, they’ve reached out and discovered many tohunga rongoā (traditional healing practitioners) whom they deeply admire for the knowledge they have shared. Raiha and Cautney continue this journey, keeping things simple by using kawakawa as their main ingredient.

Helen Paul-Smith grew up near central North Island maunga – Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro – in National Park. Surrounded by New Zealand native forests, swimming in pristine rivers, she developed a healthy respect for nature. After travelling to India and learning the ancient healing systems of Yoga and Ayurveda, Helen studied Ayurvedic Medicine at Wellpark College of Natural Therapies, where she met her husband, Scott. This began what has now been a journey of over 11 years of developing a product range utilising the amazing native healing plants of Aotearoa New Zealand. ŌKU means ‘ours’ in te reo Maori – the plants of this country are ours to respect and care for (kaitiakitanga) and they are here to help heal us and reconnect us to ourselves.

Photo courtesy (left): Helen from ŌKU New Zealand
Photo credit (right): Adam P Photography

Te Wai o Horotiu Art Hīkoi

Kauhanganui | Ground Level - Main foyer

12–1.15pm & 2–3.15pm

Free

Hono mai ki tētahi tāpoi mīharo e whakaatu nei i ngā toi Māori hirahira, e whakaahua ana i te pokapū o Tāmaki Makaurau. Whai i ngā manga tawhito o te awa o Waihorotiu, kātahi ka toro ki ngā mahi toi e whakaata ana i te kuneroa o te taiao o te tāone.

Tīmata: Toi o Tāmaki, tomokanga matua
Mutu: Takutai Square (Waitematā, Britomart)
• 75 meneti te roa
• 1km te tawhiti, he hekenga ngāwari
• Ka whiwhi piri māhunga – me tae 15 meneti i mua i te tīmatanga.
• Kia 12 ngā kaiuru – kāore he rēhitatanga tōmua. He pepa hei haina i te taupaepae matua i taua rā tonu.

Me mau mai: He hū hīkoi, he inu wai, he kāmera, he waea rānei, he ārai rā/he ārai ua hoki

Join us this Matariki for a captivating walking tour highlighting significant Māori artworks that shape the city centre of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.  Follow the historic tributaries of the Waihorotiu stream, exploring artworks that reflect the city’s evolving landscape.

Starts: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, main foyer
Ends: Takutai Square (Waitematā, Britomart)

• 75-minute duration

• 1km gentle downhill route

• Headsets provided – arrive 15 minutes early

• Max 12 participants – we are not taking pre-registrations. There will be a sign-up sheet available on the day at the front desk.

What to bring: Comfortable walking shoes, water, camera or phone, sun/rain protection

 

He Ruku Hōhonu: Ngā kōnae ringatoi me ngā taonga rangitahi

Deeper Dives: Artist files and ephemera

Mezzanine I E H McCormick Research Library 

10am–5pm

Toro atu ki te whare pukapuka rangahau kia tūhuratia ngā pukapuka, tuhinga me ngā mauhanga e pā ana ki ngā ringatoi Māori.

Tirohia ngā rauemi mō ngā ringatoi e whakaaturia ana ki te Whare Toi, tae rawa ki ngā mauhanga mō te waka kōrama a Reuben Paterson, Guide Kaiārahi, 2021. Ako hoki mō ngā ringatoi e whakaaturia ana i te Hīkoi + Te Ara Toi Tours me te Toa o te Whare Toi.

Visit the Research Library to immerse yourself in books, ephemera and archival materials on a range of ringatoi Māori (Māori artists).

Our knowledgeable staff are here to help, and you’ll find resources on artists whose works are on display in the Gallery. Dive into the archives of Reuben Paterson’s glittering forecourt sculpture, Guide Kaiārahi, 2021, and learn more about the artists featured in the Hīkoi + Te Ara Toi Tours and the Gallery Shop.

 

Te Ara Toi – Māori Art and Treasures Tour

Kauhanganui | Ground Level - Main foyer

10.30am - 11.15am & 2.30pm - 3.15pm

Haere i tētahi haerenga ārahi i te Taimoana | Coastlines, ā, toro atu ki ngā toi o Aotearoa, i roto i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Ko Matariki tērā e akiaki ana i te huritao, te maumahara, me te whakahou anō. Ka whakanui tēnei hīkoi i te mahi nui a te wai ki te waihanga i tō tātou taiao, tuakiri, me te toi.

E 15 ngā kaiuru mō ia tāpoi. Hainatia tō ingoa ki te pepa kei te taupaepae matua.

This Matariki season, embark on a guided journey through Taimoana | Coastlines, an exhibition that explores the art of Aotearoa New Zealand within the vast Pacific Ocean, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Tying into this year's festival theme of Matariki ki te Wai, in this tour we explore the profound role of water in shaping our environment, identities and artistic expression. Discover how artists from the 18th century to today respond to themes of migration, colonialism, and climate change. As Matariki invites reflection, remembrance, and renewal, join us in celebrating the past, present and future as we explore the shifting shores that connect us all.

Each tour is limited to 15 people. There will be a sign-up sheet on the day.

Kai kōhua me te parāoa parai

Boil up and fried bread

Level 1 – Gallery Café

7 June - 13 July, 10am–2.30pm

Namunamuā! Tīkina he kai kōhua me te parāoa parai i te wharekai o te Whare Toi. He kaupapa tēnei hei hāngai ki te Matariki Festival.

Namunamuā! Yum! Get yourself a feed of boil up and fried bread at the Gallery café, a special offering to coincide with the Matariki Festival. 

*Available for purchase

 

Kāhua ringatoi 

Reuben Paterson video

Whare Hui | Auditorium 

10am - 5pm 

Whai okiokitanga mai i te marea mā te mātaki kiriata mō Reuben me tāna tukanga mahi toi i a ia e kōrero ana mō tāna tāraitanga Guide Kaiārahi, 2021, he waka whakakōpura 10 mita te teitei i hangaia ki te tioata.

Take a break from the crowds to learn more about Reuben Paterson’s approach to artmaking as he talks about his sculpture Guide Kaiārahi, 2021, a dazzling 10-metre-tall waka made of crystals.

This six-minute video will play on repeat through the day. If you’d like to keep discovering more about Paterson’s art, our library has an artist file and other publications.