Wahi Pana Phase 3: Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden

Join us at Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden for a Lunch & Learn at the site of I ka Uhiwai o ke Koʻolau, a new sculptural installation by Kaili Chun. This special gathering invites educators, program administrators, and community members to gain insight on the artwork and the moʻolelo of the Koʻolau mountains along with Kaili Chun and researcher, Kaʻiminaʻauao Kahikina.

The four corten steel sculptures, positioned as nānā (viewing portals), encourage visitors to slow down, stand still, and kilo—to observe the landscape with intention and deeper awareness. Each opening aligns with a puʻu (peak) that carries its own presence and story: Konahuanui, Puʻu Lanihuli, Keahiakahoe, and the sacred waters of Hiʻilaniwai.

This program offers a chance to engage with these powerful moʻolelo while considering how educators, administrators, and the community members can build curriculum and institutional programming rooted in place-making and histories of the Koʻolau range.

RSVP is required.

Directions: All guests are encouraged to enter the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens through the back gate located at 45-580 Kionaole Rd, Kaneohe, HI 96744. See image for additional instructions.

The sculpture site is located at "Kahua Nui Pavilion." See map.

About Kaili Chun: Chun’s artistic practice spans a range of media, including installations and sculptures. Her work is characterized by an integration of traditional Hawaiian forms and practices with contemporary design elements, resulting in site-specific installations that evoke contemplation on the relationship between humans and the environment. Through her work, Chun engages with Hawaiian values such as mālama ʻāina (care for the land), hoʻōla (healing), and kuleana (responsibility), encouraging viewers to reflect on sustainability, cultural resilience, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge.

Wahi Pana: Storied Places is a temporary public art project of the City and County of Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) and is a winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge grant. Beginning February 2025, the project will feature art installations across the island of O‘ahu that connect each site with their indigenous, Native Hawaiian mo‘olelo (stories).

Visit www.wahipana.com for more information.
Email: [email protected]

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