What can I do
E toru o matou taiwhanga
Our exhibitions
Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui is home to a changing programme of exhibitions that explore place, people, and ideas. Across three distinct spaces, you’ll encounter digital storytelling, contemporary exhibition‑making, and archival material. All exhibitions are free and open during library hours.
Te Huarewa Toi | Exhibition Gallery
Opening exhibition: Rau Whārangi
He rau whārangi, nā ngā rau ringa o ngā hapori o Te Whanganui-a-Tara i tārai
He kaupapa mahi tahi toi, nā Tākuta Gabby O’Connor i kōkiri
Communities of leaves made by communities of people from Te Whanganui-a-Tara
A collaborative art project led by Dr Gabby O'Connor
Rau Whārangi explores how the landscape surrounding Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui looked in the past.
Artist and science communicator Dr Gabby O’Connor worked with mana whenua kaitiaki taiao, scientists, ecologists and others to discover the plants that once grew nearby.
This knowledge shaped community workshops where over 1000 people of all ages worked together to create leaf collages for a giant collaborative artwork.
Rau Whārangi marks the beginning of Te Huarewa Toi as a place where Wellingtonians don’t just view exhibitions, but help create them.
Dr Gabby O’Connor
Dr Gabby O’Connor is a Te Whanganui-a-Tara based artist with a background in science communication. She regularly collaborates with students, scientists and communities to create large-scale artworks in galleries and public spaces. Gabby has taught art to thousands of people in schools, universities and galleries over the past 24 years.
Gabby is currently a Research Fellow in the School of Environment, Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland. She was awarded a PhD from the University of Auckland in 2025 and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales in 2004. Gabby has exhibited in Aotearoa, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom Spain and the United Arab Emirates, and undertaken residencies in Aotearoa, Japan, Australia and Antarctica.
For more information visit: gabbyoconnor.squarespace.com
Te Mataaho | Digital Gallery
Located near the Rangaranga‑te‑muri (Harris Street) tomokanga, Te Mataaho is our digital exhibition space – a place for storytelling through image, sound and moving media.
Opening exhibition: Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui
The opening exhibition in Te Mataaho offers a window into the transformation of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui itself.
From 1990s icon to a reimagined civic space, this exhibition traces the journey of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui — the people involved, the ideas that shaped it, and the details that bring it to life.
Meet the makers. Hear their inspirations. And discover moments you might otherwise miss.
Tō Tātou | Pōneke exhibition
Located on Te Papa Tuarua | Level 2, Tō Tātou Pōneke exhibitions here draw from the Wellington City Archive and Wellington City Libraries’ special collections to reveal moments from everyday life, civic history, and the unexpected details that shape a city.
Opening exhibition: Dear Wellington
Dear Wellington showcases a selection of letters sent to the city over time.
Within these letters are curious, entertaining and sometimes surprising stories, together, they reveal a city full of character, humour, and humanity.
