Kia whakatomuri te haere whakamua: Te Aro

I walk backward into the future with my eyes fixed on my past

By artists Keri Mei Zagrobelna and Tina Rae Carter.

This mural responds to the dual history of the site - to the heritage of the whenua as a site of significance for mana whenua, and to the heritage of the theatre as home and host to the performing arts.

Spanning the length of the wall is Waitangi, a taniwha that resided in the Waitangi wetlands. Waitangi is illustrated as a tuna (eel) to symbolise the rich abundance of eels and wildlife that would have inhabited the local wetlands. Waitangi is symbolic of time - of past and present and the layers of history that make up this site both geographically and culturally.

For more information about the mural visit wellington.govt.nz