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National

Māori exhibition - Moana and its plastic pollution

Fish made out of a recycled plastic bottle, by George Nuku.

Māori artists have launched an exhibition with plastic bottles to raise awareness of the growing number of plastic waste polluting the moana.

By 2050 the number of plastic bottles in the moana is expected to outnumber fish.

Internationally renowned artists George Nuku and Tracey Tawhiao teamed up to create the Tangaroa Atea exhibition which displays art works of fish and the ocean using illuminated plastic bottles and other plastic materials.

Tracey Tawhiao spoke to Kawe Kōrero Reporters from the opening of the event on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd.

She says, “If you Google online you’ll see there’s a thing called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, estimated the size of Texas to the size of two continental USA’s.”

“There is so much plastic in the ocean.”

Tawhiao says, “George is the lead artist and I’m the other artist in the installation but we’ve had a lot of generous support from a lot of people, some of them artists coming and helping us put everything together.”

The Tangaroa Atea exhibition will run until Monday (April 10) at 501 Karangahape Rd, Auckland City.