Within The Hours of Darkness

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

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 the astrophotography exhibition ‘Within the Hours of Darkness’ alongside our main exhibition Pūkana. 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.

All 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 heavens.

Artist Talk: Saturday 19th June 11 am.