The Halo Project 2017-2018

This series is part of an ongoing indoor/outdoor installation series in collaboration with myself, Paul Forrest and bird photographer Derek Tearne with an aural soundscape as garnish by Matu Booth. The artworks are produced in such a way as to be protected from the weather elements, and can be installed safely indoors or outdoors. In fact they are impervious to the whatever the New Zealand weather can throw at them. Halo refers to the halo effect of restored habitats and sanctuaries like Zealandia in Wellington and Tiritiri Matangi Island in Auckland. At its simplest the halo effect is the avian overspill, in the immediate area around such sanctuaries, which is most noticeable in Wellington, where Kaka soar above the city centre and Tieke are now nesting outside of predator controlled areas for the first time in over a hundred years. Beyond this there is the social halo effect, where people who visit these places, or volunteer, will be inspired to return home and plant native flora for the birds, or engage in predator control, promoting the value of conservation and restoration of bird and plantlife in New Zealand. These are the ripples that spread outwards from the small things we do as individuals. If the birdlife is healthy then the land is healthy. This is a voice for the birds and we're spreading the message with The Halo Project. Postcards of some of the artworks are for sale as koha/donation to support nearby bird sanctuaries. Here's a link to Matu Booth's soundscape so you can listen whilst looking at these creations. You can also download it for free. https://soundcloud.com/halo-project/the-halo-project-soundtrack-wellington