4 Plinths 5: a (very) brief history of aotearoa

This work of Tauranga artist Kereama Taepa, with its four aluminium pieces in pixelated “space invaders” shapes, depict a Māori meeting house representing Māori habitation; a mitre, representing the missionaries and early European settlement; a crown, representing the Queen and the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi; and the Beehive, representing our current government.

Modern technology was further conveyed by large QR codes fixed to the sides of each plinth. These took the viewer with a smart device to a web-based game using the same icons as the sculptures presented in the popular space invaders game format.

This work was on display from February 2016 to January 2018.