ATUA
ATUA reimagines the realm of Pacific gods in this sculptural AR experience that claims space for gender-diverse identities impacted by colonial first contact, and creates an intimate portal for users to see themselves reflected as vital to their cultural heritage and an intrinsic part of the cosmos. Enabled through handheld devices, the ATUA experience begins with Te Kore, the void — a space of abundance and limitless potential. Activated through the power of augmented reality, witness as Te Kore is manifested into the physical realm as a cosmic being, forged of ancestral memory and adorned in cultural navigation. Become immersed in an expansive tale of time and space, in this intimate user experience that reframes Pacific cosmology through a queer Indigenous lens.
Tanu Gago
Tanu Gago (MNZM) is an award winning interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker. Gago was awarded a Queens Order of Merit for services to Pacific arts and the LGBTQIA+ community in 2019. He is also the 2020 Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika recipient of the Contemporary Pacific Artist Award. The same year Gago became an NZ Arts Laureate through his work as a co-founder of the critically acclaimed, Queer Indigenous arts collective – FAFSWAG. In 2023, after a decade of service, Gago was awarded the Trailblazer Award and deemed Legendary Godfather of Aotearoa Ballroom by the newly formed Aotearoa Ballroom Council. Born in Samoa and raised in South Auckland Gago’s story is an immigrant story. Working predominantly in arts activism, curation, and mentoring, he is currently producing for FAFSWAG’s international presentation at Manchester International Festival 2025 – MIF25. Interested in world building and storytelling from a Pacific world view, Gago’s work explores themes of identity, migration and Indigenous masculinities, operating across multimedia film, animation, and augmented reality. He is currently an artist in development with Piki films, writing and directing his first short film in 2024, with support from the New Zealand Film Commission.