Matariki and Astrophotography

Glen Butler, Sharisse Eberlein, Mark Gee, Rebecca Kempton, Pete Monk and John Whitby

Aratoi, Wairarapa Museum of Art and History
12 Bruce St, Masterton

4 July - 30 August 2020

Wairarapa is on the verge of becoming a Dark Sky Reserve, a region dedicated to preserving the pristine night sky. Darkness is vital for human wellbeing, creatures’ life cycles, navigation and our own cultural and historical understanding of our world and the universe beyond. Aratoi celebrates Matariki with astrophotography. Six Wellington and Wairarapa based artists show the power and beauty of the night from their own perspectives. The projections celebrate darkness, the depths of winter and the shortest day marked by the rising of the star cluster Matariki. ʺAll the images are from the Wairarapa and the skyscapes are mixed in with human interactions and cultural references showing we have a deep, long-forged connection to the heavensʺ says astronomer and Aratoi educator Becky Bateman. Becky, who coordinated the exhibition, is a dark sky advocate and a member on the Wairarapa Dark Sky Society Committee, a group determined to get the region accredited to be an International Dark Sky Reserve by the end of 2020. This exhibition invites you to go outside and admire the sky. Think about your place in the world, the history behind the star stories and soak up the darkness.