The shoreward surge of the sea
A large-scale interactive projection artwork that celebrates inspirational people. Names scroll endlessly up the wall and overlap each other, like waves upon waves. Audience can interact with it in real time on their phones by submitting the names of people who inspire them, and see the names appear on the wall.
The work was inspired by the massive NZ women's suffrage petition scroll, which is over 500 individual sheets attached together and stretches over 270 metres.
The name 'the shoreward surge of the sea' came from my googling the meaning of 'suff', the first part of 'suffrage'. I had been mulling on the word, and thought to myself "I know what rage is, but what on earth is 'suff'?" And this great definition came up on the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
At The Performance Arcade in 2019, the work celebrated inspiring women. During Matariki 2020, it was presented as Mihi and celebrated people who had inspired and helped others throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. At Te Ramaroa Light Nelson 2021, it celebrated climate activists and people who help the environment.