The Lightship is a contemporary art site on Bledisloe Wharf, where Ports of Auckland has built a digital light wall into the western face of its car handling building. The wall is 110 metres long and 13 metres high, and the site says it can be seen from the waterfront, the land and the sea every night, from dusk to dawn. Its programme, First Light, reflects on arrival, welcome and connection to place, with six newly commissioned works presented across the year.
The first three opening commissions are by Nova Paul, Ana Iti and Ashleigh Taupaki. Nova Paul's work places footage shot on Aotea Great Barrier Island beside the Waitematā and links it to Kupe's voyaging. The programme also includes work by Kalisolaite 'Uhila, whose Ko au eni sets a Tongan phrase in the red and white of the Tongan flag across the face of the light wall. For a visitor on the Auckland waterfront, the work is seen from outside after dark.