MŌWAI: The Weight of Water -
Born through storms. Spoken with mana. Made from aroha. MŌWAI is a creative kaupapa from Te Tairāwhiti that turns community research into art - a place where layered voices of hope and grief are shaped into creative experiences made from aroha by community.
Where it comes from -
MŌWAI is grounded in the research report Kua Huri te Tai, Kua Pari te Tai Aroha, the effects on health and wellbeing after extreme weather, drawn from 77 participants across Te Tairāwhiti. The report held powerful kōrero. MŌWAI carries those voices forward - not as pages to be read, but as taonga, stories, and creations you can see, hear, and experience.
What is it?
A community-powered exhibition and ongoing platform that translates research into artworks and experiences. Think installation, sound, object, moving image, and text - art as a doorway into the research, and research as a bridge for imagination, care, and action.
Why it matters...
Why it matters...
The impacts of extreme weather, storms and cyclones are heavy - on people, whenua, and health and wellbeing. MŌWAI reframes that weight through creativity, inviting audiences to feel the truths and possibilities held in our local voices. It’s serious and playful, grounded and hopeful - distinctly Te Tairāwhiti.
The future of MŌWAI
This exhibition is just the start. MŌWAI is building a living platform where other research can be told through creative lenses, where the mōwai website stays alive beyond opening night, and where local creatives are visible and commissioned.
How to Engage
-
Enter Kua Huri te Tai, Kua Pari te Tai Aroha through art — then dive into the report.
-
Explore our directory; find names, practices, and pathways to commission new work.
-
Partner, fund, or invite MŌWAI to translate future research into creative experiences.
-
Subscribe, follow, and share — help carry these voices beyond the exhibition.