Our third public art post features Michael Parekowhai's Atarangi II, a scaled-up stack of cuisenaire rods situated near the entrance to Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, the public art gallery for Manukau city. Originally developed by Belgian teacher Georges Cuisenaire in the the 50s as a method of teaching number relationships to children, the rods are also used in New Zealand to teach te reo Maori. The Te Atarangi method of teaching has been instrumental in the revitalisation of Maori language in New Zealand. While Parekowhai's work references these educational usages, it also offers a wry comment on indigneous v. imported culture in New Zealand's bi-cultural landscape.
Image: Michael Parekowhai, Atarangi II, installation view, Te Tuhi Centre for Contemporary Arts. Image courtesy Te Tuhi website
