JCD forges Maori art deal

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: A partnership between the New Zealand office of global advertising giant JCDecaux and Māori creative business Haumi, has seen Kiwis public engaging with a new form of public art.

The partnership Pae Ātea brings Māori visual culture and kōrero to dedicated digital billboard spaces across the country’s urban centres, to share perspectives and engage conversations in space usually reserved exclusively for commerce.

Following a chance meeting between Haumi owner Karl Johnstone and JCDecaux NZ country head Mike Watkins, the pair recognised the potential of digital billboards to present carefully choreographed, non-commercial insights that invite reflection and build shared understanding.

“We realised there was an opportunity to tell Māori stories, from a Māori perspective, directly to the public through a medium that hasn’t been used in this way before,” said Watkins.

“Many people consider billboards as a purely commercial domain, but we recognised it could also do much more.”

Since Matariki celebrations in June, Haumi has designed several ‘campaigns’, using the JCDecaux billboards to form a public art gallery, providing fresh perspectives as people move around the cities.

“Many people consider billboards as a purely commercial domain, but we recognised it could also do much more,” said Watkins.

“Like any form of art, our interactions with billboards are largely subliminal, yet they remain extremely powerful mediums, which capture the eyes of the city.”

JCD has 450 digital and static sites nationwide – 20 of which will host the Pae Ātea campaign, which is contracted to continue until 2025.

About Pae Ātea
Pae Ātea is a new public gallery that aims to become a familiar touchpoint of considered design and whakaaro, platformed nationwide on JCDecaux digital billboards across our urban landscapes.

• paeatea.nz