The Festival lit up Wellington in breathtaking style as one of the city's most iconic buildings was transformed into a living, moving canvas by acclaimed New Zealand artist Michel Tuffery.

‘Larger than life’ didn’t quite do this work justice. The beauty and history of the South Pacific came to Wellington in a big way with First Contact – a giant digital artwork projected upon the western wall of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

By bringing the ‘inside out’ from Te Papa’s extensive collections, Tuffery breathed new life into historical material recorded by the Polynesian ambassador Tupaia, and the scientists and artists from Captain James Cook’s three epic voyages – linking them with his own distinctive works and 21st century visual and sound bites.

Innovative and utterly transfixing, First Contact lit up Te Papa every evening during the Festival. For those who couldn't make the live cultural celebrations on opening night or wanted to experience First Contact in all its glory again, free downloads of the live soundtrack were available from this web page or at the First Contact Centre outside Te Papa.

Soundtrack title: First Contact
Artist: Michel Tuffery www.micheltuffery.co.nz
Music Director: Daimon Schwalger (The Nomad)

Music Courtesy of The Nomad: www.thenomadmusic.com
Horomona Horo: www.orowaru.com
Rayjah45: www.myspace.com/201764480
Rhombus In Dub: www.rhombus.co.nz
The Vehicle: www.thevehicle.co.nz