Kelly Kahukiwa (Ngāti IO, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngai Tūhoe and Te Aitanga -ā Māhaki) is an artist, musician, intercultural leader and indigenous researcher.
Kelly’s artistic practice spans many contemporary and traditional forms, including taonga whakairo and taonga pūoro. He is an experienced performer and cultural teacher who explores and exhibits his sound and visual arts practice across various contexts.
In addition, he has over twenty years of experience working in leadership roles, including significant positions in intercultural mediation, cultural capacity building, urban marae leadership and inter-operational management. He is also an experienced intercultural and youth educator fluent in spoken and written Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Maori.
Kelly initiated Te Reo Ngaro o te Rākau/The Hidden Voices of Trees to reconnect people to the native bush environment. He used indigenous research methods and scientific listening devices on native tree species. Listening to tree audio emissions at ultra-frequencies may unlock extra clues to behaviour in native species during events, including drought, water uptake, chronobiological cycles, seasonal variations, and invasive pathogen crises.
In this video, Kelly and Maggie discuss spirituality, culture and plant signals for the BioSignals Project.
More BioSignals
Strange Intelligences Lab Open Studio and BioSignals
As part of the Whangarei Fringe Festival, we opened our studio to conduct community-based research for the culmination of the BioSignals Project and as a way to feed our Strange Intelligences Lab…
BioSignals: Signals into Space!
We have sent test data into space! This exciting development results from research into grass-roots options for connecting to space from rural communities - part of our focus on building resilience. Using…
BioSignals: Printing Mugwort
The UK bioSignals team is creating banners made from elements produced by our international teams. We decided to print and send our favourite plant, Mugwort. Our Mugwort has been growing voraciously in…
Interview with Kieran Monaghan
Kieran Monaghan - is predominantly, and persistently, a drummer and percussionist of found sounds. He calls Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington home. His first crude musical steps were in the late 80’s, playing drums in…
BioSignals: Plant Ethics and Msc Presentations
in July/August the New Zealand bioSignals research team has been sharing research and perspectives in short presentations to stimulate thinking and enrich cross-cultural exchange. Presentations in PDF and Video below. {{ vc_btn:…
BioSignals First NZ Milestone Achieved
With the launch of the Alternative Reality Gardening Lab our bioSignals research could be tested with the public. Our Central Garden Lab—the project's hub—had several projects in some form of display so…
Ecosystem Signals Crossing the World
Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you - Crowded House So we are sending our mad Northland weather globally in our bioSignals project via our weather station, which has been…
Resilience Garden Update: Image Gallery
A BioSignals documentation post is showing the latest growth in our resilience garden. We have beautiful flowers in our resilience garden and massive autumnal growth. The mugwort seedlings are thriving, and abundance…
Installation Prototyping
Plants are sending signals within a suburban mall thanks to Kim's hard work today on our bioSignals project. Our shop in The Strand Arcade now has the bones of an installation in…
Foraging and Propagating Wormwood
It shows you the folly of resentment, judgement and rage. Gregg (2014) Artemisia Absyinthium, is a repellent herb that hatefully banishes other plants or animals that come too close. Cunningham (1998)…
This interview is part of the BioSignals project funded by the British Council through their #ConnectionsThroughCulture fund.
