Navigating Change

NAVIGATING CHANGE

a collection of images, stories and reflections

for the

Wayfinder project

2 0 0 1 - 2 0 1 1

Commissioned by Auckland Council

2012

E nga Mana, E nga reo, E nga Maataa Waka,Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou,

Tena Koutou Katoa.

Titiro mai ki tenei Waka Moemoea, E kawa ana nga tumanako

o nga whakatipuranga o tenei whenua.

This book is a gift to the past, present and future generations

of New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.

Contained within it are images and stories honouring the vision for the Wayfinder

Project, a celebration of the community of people involved, and recognition of hopes

and dreams for our shared future.

commissioned byAuckland Council

formerly Waitakere City Council Te Taiao o Waitakere

a b re a t h of o u r s h a re d j o u r n ey

a community arts project for the New Lynn Community Centre

Photo: Simon Devitt

Toia MaiTe Waka!

Ki te UrungaTe Waka!

Kit e MoengaTe Waka!

Ki te takotorangi, takoto ai,Te Waka!

Drag, heaveTe Waka!

Towards the landing placeTe Waka!

To the resting placeTe Waka!

To the place where it will lie

Te Waka!

Photo: Simon Devitt

WAYFINDER carries the history, hopes and dreams of people within the New Lynn community. Held within it are numerous steel and copper scrolls, each inscribed with the marks and words of local people who joined in the sculpture-making rituals.

WAYFINDER reflects the waka (canoe) which were once carried across the portage in New Lynn (at Portage Road) linking the Manukau and Waitemata waters. This vessel form reminds us of the many ways people have travelled to New Lynn, from all directions. It celebrates the sacred role of water in connecting us to each other, and all of life.

WAYFINDER is a seed carrying vessel, a pod, honouring whakapapa (ancestory) and the unique ecology of this land. In particular, the rewarewa tree is honoured, recognising an ancient name for the area, Te Rewarewa.

WAYFINDER is a vessel of humanity, holding potential and gently supporting transformation.


Photo: Simon Devitt

NAVIGATING CHANGE

When we shaped Wayfinder in 2001, we were amidst the turn of the century. New Lynn town centre was on the brink of significant change, and the new community centre was seen as an important step in the urban redevelopment process. As part of the design and construction of the new building, we were tasked with creating an arts process to support members of the New Lynn community, in particular the people who gathered together in the existing community centre, to transition from the intimacy of the existing brick building, to the larger scale new building.

We set about creating a process that would embrace New Lynn’s history, diversity and shared passions. We wanted our worktogether to help build common ground for the people of New Lynn, and we wanted to have fun!

Many people were involved, and the process culminated in the installation of the Wayfinder sculpture, a 6.5 metre high steel and copper structure, sited at the entrance to the new New Lynn Community Centre.

Accompanying the sculpture, the Wayfinder Book recorded stories and dreams from people who had been involved.

The Wayfinder project became a vehicle for linking the old with the new in a living arts process. The creative process was inter-generational, and brought people of diverse cultural identities together, linking them to each other, and the land and physical environment of New Lynn. Wayfinder grew to become our way of navigating this change together.

Photos: Caroline Robinson

OUR PROCESS

With the intention to develop a sculptural work that was authentically alive for the local people, a ‘concept team’ of 8 local people worked with artist Caroline Robinson. Team members worked together to build a rich pool of vision, values, goals, and ideas for the project, leading to the development of a project charter, and a concept design for the sculpture.

The histories of the land spoke strongly through the dialogue, in particular the living heritages of tangata whenua, Te Kawarau a Maki, stories of transportation and migration, the clay and waters of the landscape, the local ceramics industry as well as stories of local family life.

From this material, Caroline crafted a design proposal in the form of a copper wire model. This minature Wayfinder became the centrepiece for communicating the vision to Council staff, the project architects, Architectus and others involved in the sculpture fabrication.

Following acceptance of the design, the Wayfinder project had an important role in bringing a group of around 200 community centre user group members together.

Participants gathered in the Wayfinder workshop to scribe their marks and words onto the steel scrolls and onto the hand-made paper pages of the Wayfinder Book.

This process was a celebration of existing relationships, and a catalyst for new ones, as people shared stories of the history of the land and communities of New Lynn, childhood memories, family stories and visions for the future of New Lynn. As Wayfinder was completed, this wellspring of community was bought to life in a ritual procession delivering Wayfinder to its site, along the way honouring the transition from the old community centre, to the new.

Photo: Simon Devitt

WAYFINDERa breath of our shared journey

Photos: Concept Team

rewarewa


New Lynn Community Centre Totara Avenue, New Lynn, Auckland

commissioned by Auckland Council (formerly Waitakere City Council)

opened June 16th, 2001

Architects: Architectus

Wayfinder Project Artist and Facilitator: Caroline Robinson

Concept Team: Rewi Spraggan Te Kawarau a Maki, Neil Miller, Dave Harre, Ros Gardiner,

Sarah Foote & Stella Suailua-Sagele Best Training, Sally Liu, Enuake Sirikige. Blacksmith: Dave Watts

Bookmaker: Beth Serjeant

Approx. 250 local community participants

Pictured: Naomi McCleary, Arts Manager WCC

Photo: Simon Devitt



Pictured: Dave Watts, Springbank General Metal-work, fabricating the Wayfinder sculpture at the Ambrico Place workshop, New Lynn.


Our group has explored back and forward and we have been empowered by what happened. This piece for the entry pillar, for me, offers a gentling of the growth process. It embraces and holds the arriving human and offers a moment of warmth. It tells me; in this move to power for the few there is a little corner for the powerless to feel secure.

Dave HarreWayfinder Concept Team Member


Pictured: Dave Watts fabricating Wayfinder using blacksmithing techniques to heat and wrap the mild steel bar.


I think this design is wonderful… this design already has had our Chinese thinking. Although not typical Chinese culture (artwork), we think this ideaincludes Chinese thinking. This design represents all the people from different nationality work together to make a contribution to New Zealand…row the boat to a wonderful life, a happy future…to make our country more rich, more beautiful.

Sally LiuPresident West Auckland Chinese Education

Wayfinder Concept Team Member


Pictured: Participants make their contributions to the Wayfinder Book at the community event, Ambrico Place workshop, New Lynn.


Waitakere City has a commitment to making the city a sustainable place. Central to making this vision real is the integration of projects that combine artistic excellence with the energies of local communities to reshape and redefine public places (buildings, green areas, other areas). In essence, this approach aims to rebuild a sense of community and attachment locally by, first, working with local people in the area, and second, generating artistic works of excellence and the scale to transform the places they occupy.

We are particularly pleased with the highly expressive work Wayfinder which dominates the front of the Community Building in New Lynn. It resonates well with the elegant architecture of the centre and with the sustainable building components that are an integral part of the project.

Ann MageeDirector Strategic Projects, Waitakere City Council

July 2001


Pictured: Participants at the community event share stories about their lives in New Lynn, and offer ideas for the sculpture name.


Perfect, just what was needed, just what was envisaged.

He tino pai rawe atu ra.

Great idea for the future.

Tumeke. He ataahua.

Absolutely magnificent, looks so organic and soft, like it would float!

A wonderful vessel to extend our hearts and minds into the future. It has been enjoyable sharing this

time with a group of children.

Whaia e koe te iti kahurangi ki te tuoho koe, me he maunga teitei. Tena Koutou katoa.

Ma te korero i te reo e ora aima te ora o te reo ka Rangitira

Good to see initiative and action working together.

It was very fun!

Various Wayfinder Community Participantsfrom the Wayfinder Project Visitors Book


Pictured: Food, music and visions shared by all ages at the weekend long community workshop held at the Ambrico Place workshop, New Lynn.


This was a collaboration of artistic minds collecting and processing information, to present an image or product of local relevance. It was very inspiring being able to relate and discuss ideas with people of different artistic backrounds, genders, age, culture and knowledge. It moved me deeply. I can say, during the time I spent with the team, my knowledge as well as my understanding of the growth and development of New Lynn has matured and nurtured.

I like the creative qualities of the materials being very malleable as well as firm, opaque as well and dull, new as well as old. The overall design and shape is captivating. It projects an ethnic quality but still has an industrial aspect, which I find interesting. I also like the fact that it holds a lot of meaning and relevance to New Lynn, which ishidden in every fold, spiral, and weave and is waiting to be read.

Enuake Sirikige Aerosol Artist



Pictured: Participants at the community workshop left their mark on the steel scrolls, which were later curled and fixed into the body of the sculpture.


It was an unforgettable experience which involved a lot of deep looking into different cultures, people and our community. I hope the community enjoys it as much as I have.

Sarah FooteBest Training Student


The story of the design is open, flexible, but under-standing the nature of change and time and people print on the spiritual and physical environment.

Ros GardinerWayfinder Concept Team Member


Pictured: Local retired metalworker, Ron Leakey, enjoys the pleasure of securing the community’s prayer scrolls into Wayfinder’s body.


Pictured: People gather in preparation for the procession, a ritual of transporting Wayfinder from the workshop to the New Lynn Community Centre.


Office of David CunliffeMP for TitirangiP.O. Box 20-361 Glen EdenWaitakere City

3 July 2001

I am writing to commend the work of Caroline Robinson, artist and sculptor, for her work ‘Wayfinder’ at the New Lynn Community Centre.

‘Wayfinder’ is an extraordinarily successful concept – a Rewarewa pod crafted like a waka to mark the ancient Maori portage-way of New Lynn. It is equally brilliantly executed.

Above all it carries with it the love of many in the local community – inscribed in rolled coils attached to the sculpture – and expressed through the community parade and blessing of the sculpture.

I commend the sculpture, and Caroline Robinson, most highly.

Yours sincerely,David Cunliffe


Pictured: The Wayfinder procession left Ambrico Place, traveling first to the old community centre, where speeches acknowledged the local history.


Waitakere City has a goal to both integrate and weave art through the fabric of its infrastructure. The New Lynn Community Centre project is another example where Waitakere has given effect to this goal through the integration of art, both functional and public within the facility.

The entrance sculpture by artist Caroline Robinson, in my view, provides a link to the historical context of New Lynn as a portage between the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours with the sculptural representation of a Waka, but also provides a link as a sculptural vessel to carry the community into a future state.

For me the sculpture has symbolic linkages to both the past and the future and makes a powerful statement as one enters the Community Centre.

John DragicevichStrategic Projects Manager / Project Sponsor

Waitakere City Council 2001


Pictured: Karakia and waiata (prayer and song) welcomed Wayfinder to the new community centre construction site, honouring the rich journey shared.

Photos: Caroline RobinsonAbove: A page from the project visitors book.Pictured: Installation of Wayfinder onsite at the New Lynn Community Centre, Totara Ave.

Photo: Simon Devitt

Photo: Simon Devitt

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Photo: Simon Devitt

Photo: Caroline Robinson

At the time of creating this book, in 2012, we honour a poetic transition for the Wayfinder sculpture. In August 2011, Wayfinder was removed from the front of the community centre, to open space for developments in the streetscape around the building.

For ten years, the Wayfinder sculpture stood visibly as a symbol of our collective journey, celebrating and honouring our people and our land. The woven strands, and the delicately aging scrolls carried memory of the intentions, words and symbols that had been inscribed by community members in 2001. These hopes and dreams were sung to life everyday, as children, teenagers, mums and dads, grand-mothers and grandfathers, friends and colleagues - people from all corners of the community, gathered together in the centre.

In 2012, the vision of the Wayfinder project is still very much alive, resonating with rich celebration of our relationships with each other and all of our relations, and honouring the principles of openness, inclusiveness, reciprocity and respect.


Pictured: In a shower of sparks, the physical structure of the Wayfinder sculpture is cut free from the New Lynn Community Centre support pillar.


n av i ga t i n g c h a n ge

Pictured: In August 2011, the Wayfinder sculpture is suspended by a crane, gracefully separating from a 10 year long residence at the community centre.


Pictured: Wayfinder is gently lowered onto a truck, which carries her to rest near the kauri forest, in the Artist’s care, until the next stage of her journey...

Navigating Change

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