What if instead of reading a map, you could listen to it?
Shifting Atmospheres, now open to the public at Waharau Regional Park, is exploring exactly that by offering an immersive sonic experience.
Behind this project is Jude Robertson, the 2018 Auckland Regional Parks Artist in Residence, who creates art using sound, sculpture and photography.
“Shifting Atmospheres is mainly composed of sounds of natural elements, such as movement of water, climatic effects and various birdcalls,” says Jude.
“I also captured sounds of park visitors, as I wanted to convey the interconnected relationship between people and the natural environment, instead of portraying the environment as separate from people.”
For her residency, Jude lived and worked at Waharau Regional Park for eight weeks last spring. Living on the park 24/7 gave her a familiarity with a place not experienced by many.
“Living at the park led me to work in a new way, recording sounds and photographing at unusual times of day and night,” says Jude
Over this time, she composed the sound map, which features audio field recordings gathered from many different locations within Waharau and the Hunua Ranges.
“While everyone will have their own experiences of Waharau, I hope to offer people a new perspective of the park, gained from close observation of the environment over a sustained period of time,” says Jude.
There is also a series of photographs featured on postcards for visitors to take away, for themselves or to send to friends and family, that convey the shifting atmospheres over the Firth of Thames/Tikapa Moana.
Plan your visit to Waharau Regional Park today.
Apply for the Artist in Residence programme
Are you an experienced and innovative artist, looking to try something new in 2019?
Applications are closing on 15 February for the 2019 Auckland Council Regional Parks Artist in Residence programme. For more information and to apply, visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/arts.
