L-R: Artist Helena Skerlj-Rovers with Harunga CuratorsMomoko Burgess and Ahlia-Mei Ta’Ala. Photo by Laura Forest.

Curators Statement

Karangahape Rd has been a tūrangawaewae for marginalised people, the outsiders, the urban diaspora, a place where we can all feel we belong. These people have made up the community and culture of Karangahape Road as a space.

At the base of Karangahape’s cultural heritage is the narrative of Hape. In one version of the story Hape was not allowed to board the Tainui waka because he was club footed and was left marginalised. Hape is a significant ancestor of Tainui, and represents K’ Rd communities that have been marginalised elsewhere. 

With the current cultural climate, this project is a reference to communities and histories of Karangahape Rd. It is an attempt to make a physical stand, that though there are all these changes happening, the legacy of the communities of Karangahape will continue through the essence left behind on the whenua. While many different subcultures exist along Karangahape road, we are all one community wanting the same outcome; to be able to express ourselves in a safe environment, to empower each other to feel comfortable to be who they are and to welcome everyone.

 K’ rd has undergone many localised periods of gentrification. This is our attempt to acknowledge the histories and the legacies of the people before us. 

 In Auckland’s hopes for foreign investment, how can we ensure that we retain K’ rd’s diverse communities? How will we educate our histories? 

 Karangahape Road is the last space of belonging for people who don’t belong.

Momoko Burgess and Ahlia-Mei Ta’Ala. October 2019.