Get ready, whānau: the hotly-anticipated Play 4.0 exhibit is ready to delight all ages at He Waka Tuia.
He Waka Tuia Manager Sarah Brown said the exhibit, now in its fourth year, would be split into nine distinct zones – each one featuring an engaging take on blending art and creativity together with interactive and compelling opportunities for play for the young and young-at-heart alike.
Play 4.0 would kick off tomorrow with an exciting launch event for families featuring facepainting, a balloon animal artist, and a cupcake decorating station courtesy of Piece of Cake, between 11.30am and 1.30pm, she said.
“The kaupapa or purpose that we’re coming from when we think about putting together an exhibit like Play is about not only celebrating art and creativity, but making it more accessible for everybody – not just children, but our whole community,” Brown said.
“It’s about breaking down barriers and encouraging people to come and interact with art in an engaging way. Often the perception is that an art gallery is a place where you stand quietly, look at art on a wall, you don’t touch anything. Kids don’t necessarily think of an art gallery as their space – but children, and their families, are an integral part of our community and the celebration of creativity belongs to them as much as it belongs to anybody,” she said.
“We include a diverse range of artforms and zones throughout the exhibit, so while the exhibit is designed with tamariki in mind, its scope extends far beyond that. There is something for all ages, and as a whole the exhibit encourages our community to come and enjoy art in all of its forms together. Play is for everybody.”
Among the delights to discover were this year’s collaboration with Wellington-based creative studio Paku – it featured large-scale versions of its popular Pū Rākau blocks, each of which depicted an individual atua (god) and brought them to life using augmented reality – as well as the Mirror, Mirror zone (showcasing portraiture, thanks to a selection of artworks from the Invercargill Public Art Gallery, or IPAG, collection).
Bright, contemporary artworks by Jenny Zhong, meanwhile, were affixed to the walls – not only did they depict the vast range of human emotions, but they encouraged visitors to give them a spin.
Meanwhile, in the Puzzled zone, three iconic artworks had been reimagined in LEGO form (Van Gogh’s Starry Night). These sat alongside a selection of vintage puzzles – sourced thanks to private local collectors and Te Kupeka Tiaki Taoka Trust – as well as large-scale puzzles that replicated artworks, also from the IPAG collection. Meanwhile, the smallest of He Waka Tuia’s visitors could experience a simulated ball pit.
He Waka Tuia Senior Curator: Exhibitions Gemma McDonald said Play 4.0 was a chance for the community to celebrate and be inspired by all forms of art.
“It’s absolutely our most fun and whimsical exhibit to put together – but conceptually, it’s also one of the most challenging,” she said.
“It can be really difficult to bring a cohesive exhibit – one that is not only aesthetically beautiful but is functional for play as well – to life, especially since we have just a week to put it all together. It’s a huge effort, but we’re incredibly lucky to be supported not only by a wonderful team but a community who love and support Play,” she said.
The exhibit not only gave people the opportunity to simultaneously enjoy the artworks while still maintaining respect for the space, but also encouraged the community to bring more creativity into their lives at home, she said.
“I don’t think anybody ever envisaged Play becoming an annual event, but it is something that really resonates with people, and it’s great to see how much joy it brings to everybody. We are really excited for people to see it.”
Play 4.0 will run at He Waka Tuia until August 17. He Waka Tuia had also once again partnered with Main Street Cafe & Restaurant, which offered young visitors to Play 4.0 a voucher for a free hot drink.
