Episode 161: Kauwila Mahi and Ka‘imina‘auao Kahikina on Wahi Pana: Storied Places, a temporary art program

On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Kauwila Mahi and Ka‘imina‘auao Kahikina join host Brandi Higa to talk about how they got involved in Wahi Pana: Storied Places, a temporary art program created by the City and County of Honolulu through a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and “In the Southern Sun” an immersive art exhibit in Waikīkī.

Wahi Pana

Wahi Pana includes art installations that activate sites across O‘ahu by connecting them to stories rooted in Native Hawaiian history and stories. For some of those working on this project, that meant revisiting mo‘olelo (stories) they’ve heard before and even those they hadn’t.

“Most of what I pulled from the archive, I didn’t know before,” added Ka‘imi Kahikina.

Launching in 2025, this project brings together local artists and storytellers to create 11 multi-media installations around the island. This initiative will run for a three-year period from 2025 to 2028.

Creative story-telling

Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi based artists are commissioned to collaborate with story-tellers and community members to research, and create site-specific artworks that highlight the complex histories of each place.

“Because of how exciting and intimate we get to be with this ʻāina, sharing it with others and hoping they have these same intimacies helps us to grow and acknowledge all the ways that we relate to Hawai‘i,” explained Kauwila Mahi.

To learn more about the installations up now, please visit wahipana.com

In the Southern Sun

In The Southern Sun is a new visual storytelling exhibit that reframes the cultural history of Waikīkī through art, memory, and place-based design. The project is a self-funded initiative led by a group of close friends and partners: Kimo Kennedy, Jason Cutinella, Kamea Hadar, and Keola Rapozo.

“This amazing exhibit gives us an opportunity to not only contest and show what we know, but also show and confront histories that are ongoing or people are attempting to encroach or supplant or replace, and ensuring that those stories of this place continue to have power,” said Kauwila Mahi.

For more information, including how to plan your visit, please visit https://www.inthesouthernsun.com/