Art installation at Raglan wharf

The rain held off long enough on Saturday for the creation of a land-based art installation at Raglan wharf.
New Zealand artists Karma Barnes and Ekarasa Prem created an 8 metre diameter installation out of natural materials, including Raglan sand, rich red soils and coffee ground, in remembrance of Raglan’s iconic wharf that was recently destroyed by fire. A theme of Matariki was also woven into the design. The use of natural materials means that the work by nature is impermanent and naturally deconstructed with the winter elements.
The work is part of an on-going series of work they began in Wellington in 2008 and has featured at Wellington’s Water front as part of the Wellington Fringe Festival of the Arts 2009.
Of particular significance, the project was recently developed at the El Hayelo artist residency,in the desert of Villa de Leyva, Colombia, South America, as part of an international artist residency program.
Since returning to New Zealand the project has featured in the ‘Universal Unfoldings Exhibition’, at Raglan’s Old School Arts Centre and most recently an installation was produced at the Raglan community fundraiser for a small business effected by the fire.
Next up for the project has been invited to exhibit in Australia, the documentation from Raglan will feature in this.
“The Raglan wharf project has been a great community event, we are looking forward to producing more installations in the Waikato Region”, say the artists.
The focus of the on-going project is to reconnect people and the environment. Through the development of human relations to art and nature and the use of natural materials via impermanent land based installation art works. The ephemeral nature of the work offers the insight that we are not separate to the land and that direct changes with our relationship to the earth need to occur promptly to create a sustainable future.