Housing Connections with a Relational Lens

Within a locally focused durational art practice, this research explored how photography and video can bring people together through a series of related documentary-making events. Focusing on the lived experiences of Auckland inner-city public housing residents and their art neighbourhood, the project used collaborative filmmaking and photography methods for social connection. The work embraced Indigenous perspectives and decolonising methodologies appropriate to Aotearoa-New Zealand's cultural context. By involving residents as active participants and collaborators, the research demonstrated how camera-based art can create spaces where people are seen and heard. Through participatory events and exhibitions, the project developed relationships between residents and art institutions, treating visibility and participation as meaningful forms of political social action.