DREAM STATE DESIGN
exhibitions - visitor experiences - products
Iwi and Community exhibitions
In developing Iwi and Community exhibitions I worked closely with advisory groups and museums. Design solutions often required traversing the interests of the key stakeholders to ensure the installed experience was delivered in a 3d spatial context for a wider audience. Key design challenges were to locate these exhibitions into existing 'parent' exhibitions.
Image: Interpretive solutions for Wānanga workshops at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute
Transparent up-lit panels served as a divider between a large Waka (canoe) from a different iwi that was on permanent display.
In-floor cases contained soils from the various regions and functioned as subtle transition details between sections.
Ngāi Tahu Whānui: Mō Tātou
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Ngāi Tahu Advisory Group wanted the exhibition to be a contemporary experience, reflecting a modern iwi. My design solutions used contemporary materials, colour and form, presenting a fresh approach to the display of taonga (treasured artefacts)
I created alcoves within a permanent curved wall to display 18 individual taonga. Each taonga was displayed on a pane of clear perspex, as if it were floating, having emerged from the earth.
Six themes focused on a different aspect of wedding preparation. This image represented food preparation and included small scent boxes containing spices and models of wedding cake and traditional sweets.
Aainna: Reflections through Indian weddings
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Advisory Group's aspirations were for a vibrant, celebratory exhibition. A wedding scene depicting each of the four main religions featured on the mandap pictured here. The scene changed every six months, meaning references to motif, architectural forms and use of colour throughout had to be carefully considered and approved. Windows in the external walls provided multiple sightlines into the exhibition.
Exhibition entry with tri-lingual introductory texts and view down the aisle to the mandap.
The mannequins were procured from India and a local henna artist was commissioned to decorate the hands for each wedding scene.
Taku Tāmaki: Auckland Stories
Auckland War Memorial Museum
The design of the exhibition environment promoted social, active, visually engaging and comfortable spaces for families. I designed and scaled the display furniture for the target audience of 8 - 12yr olds. Artefacts had fresh, unexpected and varied presentations.
I designed social spaces within the exhibition to facilitate different activities and events for the wider community; pegboards and pinboards encouraged children to contribute to the exhibition via these installations.
A tunnel beneath the exhibition title revealed a hidden diorama.