28 November 2024
At Te Pūnaha Matatini we value the opportunity to work with artists to explore how art and research come together to tell stories about our world. Eager to bring new perspectives to our research, and to create opportunities to engage new audiences with complex systems, we were equally delighted and daunted to receive over 40 applications from some immensely talented artists across Aotearoa New Zealand to be a guest artist with us.
It brings us great pleasure to introduce Te Pūnaha Matatini’s first guest artist: Dr Sione Faletau. Sione is a multidisciplinary artist of Tongan descent, who often translates soundscapes into visual kupesi (patterns) by extracting and manipulating the audio wave spectrum into intricate designs. During his six-months with Te Pūnaha Matatini, Sione will use a talanoa approach to develop site-specific installations in close collaboration with researchers that align with his artistic practice.
To introduce himself, Sione answered a few questions:
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in art?
Si’oto’ofa Malo e lelei. My name is Sione Faletau, and I am a New Zealand-born Tongan. My roots trace back to the villages of Taunga, Vava’u on my father’s side and Lakepa, Tongatapu on my mother’s side. I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Ōtara, South Auckland. For me, art is a vehicle for creative research and self-discovery – it has become a way to delve deeper into my Tongan heritage and engage with the broader world.
I pursued my studies at the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts, where I honed my skills and began shaping my practice.
Image: Sione Faletau’s doctoral project explored Tongan masculinity from an Indigenous perspective.
What themes or concepts do you explore in your work, and how do they relate to complex systems?
My work often revolves around sound – specifically the audio wave spectrum – as the foundation for visual creation. By translating sound frequencies into visual patterns, I create kupesi (Tongan motifs) that bring talanoa (cultural dialogues) into a visual language. This process embodies complexity, as it intertwines cultural narratives, environmental data, and visual art into cohesive, layered works.
How do you approach the process of creating your art? Do you have any specific techniques or methods you prefer?
My creative process begins with research. I immerse myself in reading, gathering information, and engaging in talanoa. This research phase allows me to deeply understand the subject I’m exploring. From there, I use sound recordings, audio spectrums, and digital tools to create visual patterns. The talanoa often informs both the conceptual and aesthetic aspects of the work, ensuring that it is grounded in cultural and contextual meaning.
Can you share a particular project or piece that you feel best represents your artistic vision and why?
One project that stands out is my commissioned work for The Lightship on Quay Street in Auckland. For this piece, I recorded the sounds of the Ports of Auckland, the surrounding Auckland CBD, and the Waitematā Harbour. These audio recordings were transformed into visual kupesi and displayed as large-scale light led art works. This work encapsulates my artistic vision as it marries site-specific data, cultural storytelling, and a dynamic visual language to engage both the environment and the audience.
Image: The Lightship sparkles across the water in downtown Auckland.
What inspired you to collaborate with Te Pūnaha Matatini, and how do you see your art contributing to the understanding of complex systems?
The potential for collaboration and innovation inspired me to work with Te Pūnaha Matatini. Art and science share a foundation in curiosity and exploration, and both engage with complex systems in unique ways. I see this partnership as an opportunity to explore interdisciplinary connections and uncover new ways of understanding. Through my art, I aim to visualize these complex systems, making them accessible and engaging to a broader audience.
What do you hope audiences will take away from your work, especially in the context of its connection to complex systems research?
I hope audiences come away with an appreciation for the interconnectedness of cultural, environmental, and scientific systems. My work invites viewers to experience the unseen or unheard elements of our world in a tangible, visual form. By highlighting these connections, I hope to inspire curiosity, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the intricate systems that shape our lives.