RACHEL SHEARER
Whakapapa of Shimmers
RACHEL SHEARER
Whakapapa of Shimmers
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Whakapapa of Shimmers
22 Aug - 27 Sep, 2025
Kia hora te marino
Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana
Kia tere te kārohirohi i mua i tō huarahi
May peace be widespread.
May the sea be like greenstone.
May the shimmer of light guide you on your way. *
Stepdown is delighted to present Whakapapa of Shimmers, an exhibition by Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist Rachel Shearer.
Whakapapa of Shimmers explores vibration as the fundamental pulse of life. At its core is the wiriwiri, the expression of the quivering hand in te ao Māori. This gesture invokes the mana of Tānerore, the shimmering embodiment of summer’s visible heat. Filmed on Super-8 film, this experimental film weaves together imagery, movement, and sound to evoke energy as vibration, where the wiriwiri is a portal opening onto whakapapa, resonance, and the unseen forces that shape our world.
To open the exhibition, Rachel Shearer will present a live performance.
The following day, Sonic Mihi—a participatory sound and performance event—will invite deep listening and a collaborative sonic response to the whenua of Heretaunga.
Opening Celebration and Live Performance: 6pm, Friday 22 Aug
Koha appreciated for the performance, but not required.
All welcome!!
*As explained by Taituwha King (Waikato), this whakatauākī (proverb) was written by Rangawhenua (Ngāti Pahere, Ngāti Maniapoto) for his own people and for a specific context. It has since been widely adapted and used across Aotearoa New Zealand, often for those about to embark on a journey or an important life passage.
Photo: Tina Pihema / Jasmine Te Hira
SONIC MIHI
Participatory Sound Event
Saturday 23 August 1-3pm
@Auaha, Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga-Hastings Art Gallery
- Open to all ages
- Free
Sonic Mihi is a participatory sound and performance event centred on deep listening and a collaborative sonic response to the whenua of Heretaunga. It activates names and kupu key to the whakapapa of the area through layered improvisation, with voices looped and digitally transformed in real time. The work explores whakapapa, place, collaboration, and te reo Māori as a way of activating the mauri of the collective to greet the mauri of the whenua. No previous experience or skills required!
Rachel Shearer (2025) Melbourne/Naarm, Australia
Photo Dane Mitchell
Rachel Shearer (Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Pākehā) has been working with sound in various forms for three decades. She began in bands with releases on labels including Xpressway (Angelhead), Flying Nun, Drag City, Siltbreeze (QMP) Ecstatic Peace, and Family Vineyard (as Lovely Midget and under her own name) among others. Over the years, she has explored sound as a medium through a wide range of sonic practices including; site-specific installations, collaborations as a sound designer across creative disciplines, and practice-led research into the materiality of sound through both Western and Māori philosophies and technological frameworks. Her work is often focused on creating immersive sonic environments that invite deep listening.
Instagram: @thelovelymidget
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