Motat's Te Puawānanga crowned International Exhibition of the Year
Motat claimed the accolade at the 2025 Museum and Heritage Awards in
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International award-winning MOTAT exhibition Te Puawananga
arts te ao Māori about 1 hour ago MOTAT's Te Puawananga Exhibtion was recently named International Exhibition of the Year at the Museum and Heritage Awards in London. As it turned one, it beat the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and Seattle's Museum of Pop. Te Puawananga hopes to reconnect young people with science through a cultural lens and tackle the declining interest in science and technology by recognising and integrating Matauranga Maori and Western Science. With tactile and hands-on activities it hopes to make science relevant and inclusive while engaging children with STEM topics. The exhibit was designed in partnership with Maori educators and artists. The judges of the awards described it as a "vibrant, culturally connected space that seamlessly blends science and Maori culture." Auckland-based multi-disciplinary artist, curator, sculptor and strong cultural and Iwi advocate, Pita Turei, was heavily involved in the development of the exhibtion. He speaks to Culture 101
