Mano Pihema
Layered Space / E tu ana koe i nga wahi e rua
My project originates from summer travel to Cape Reinga. This location is especially significant in terms of Māori place tradition, being the focal point for spirits before leaving these shores for Hawaiki. I later returned there in similar disembodied fashion via Google Street View.
Photographic spheres as a means of traversing space have seeped into public consciousness due to Google Street View’s pervasive presence. The platform’s omnipresence extends itself through convenience and encourages its users to generate their own spherical reflections of the world. Locations are therefore layered, possessing both the sensible present and, additionally, an infinite number of nonsensible, portable, immersive spaces.
Tensions regarding public and private realms are prompted by displaying the home in a manner which positions a single participant in separation from the public but within view. Māori conceptions of Te Kore provide a precedent for framing this separation. I will employ one definition to frame these simulated layers: “between non-being and being: that is the realm of potential being.” The potential of simulated environments in light of lost Māori land tempts an alternative for innovation and a rejuvenation of lost place traditions.
