Diagrammatica

BEND TIME
SCATTER SOUND
DISSOLVE THE KNOWN

AWARD-WINNING DIAGRAMMATICA COMES TO TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA/WELLINGTON

From 1-13 December 2026, Diagrammatica transforms a space inside Wellington Railway Station into a live, continually shifting world of drawing, film, sound, sculpture and people.

Presented as part of the Urban Dream Station Series, Diagrammatica is an epic improvisation inspired by physics diagrams, astral photography and graphic musical scores. Hundreds of sculptural and visual fragments form a vast interconnected field, continually rearranged and reimagined by the people who enter it.

Live cameras turn these actions into moving pictures of thought, generating a film in real time as forms gather, collide, dissolve and reappear.

Each day, local guest musicians curated by experimental music stalwarts Pyramid Club, improvise inside the work, responding to the shifting film, the people and the space as an evolving graphic score. Local live-art legends Barbarian join Strange Engine to host the work, playing alongside the public and helping hold the system open for whatever might emerge.

Created by Aotearoa artist Jason Maling with sound artists Madeleine Flynn & Tim Humphrey and filmmaker Rhian Hinkley, Diagrammatica was first presented at RISING, Melbourne in 2025. It went on to win the 2026 Green Room Award for Outstanding Work in Contemporary & Experimental Performance, with further nominations for Design and Technical Achievement.

WHEN / WHERE / HOW TO ENTER

1-13 DECEMBER 2026
Wellington Railway Station
Right side of the entry foyer

Open: Tuesday-Sunday: 4-8.30pm
Closed: Monday 7 December

Turn up at any point during the live hours to explore the exhibition, watch the film unfold in real time, listen to the musicians, see the drawings and peer into the making space. No booking is needed to visit the exhibition but bookings are recommended for the participation sessions.

WANT TO GO FURTHER AND STEP INSIDE?

There are two participation sessions each day:

SESSION 1: 4-5.30pm
Enter at 4pm and stay for up to 90 minutes.

SESSION 2: 7-8.30pm
Enter at 7pm and stay for up to 90 minutes.

Before entering, you’ll receive a short briefing and be fitted with light overalls and a tool belt.

Once inside, there is no prescribed task and nothing you are expected to achieve. No particular skills are needed. Follow what interests you, respond to what is already there, connect something, undo something, or simply spend time inside the system.

Bookings are recommended but not essential. You can reserve a place here, or simply turn up and see if there is space. A limited number of places are available to book for each session, with additional places held for walk-ins.

Everyone is welcome to participate, regardless of whether they can make a donation. Donations on a sliding scale can be made upon booking.

All proceeds of tickets go to Pyramid Club, helping support the guest musicians and keep participation open and accessible to everyone.

GUEST MUSICIANS SCHEDULE

Each day, musicians perform live within the system, responding to the film, the people and the shifting dynamics of the room as an evolving graphic score.

Project sound designers Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey perform throughout the season and are joined each day by local guests. The guest musicians all come from the wider Pyramid Club community, part of Pōneke’s rich experimental music scene and a long-running home for improvised and exploratory sound.

Tue 1 Dec — Ruby Solly — taonga pūoro

Wed 2 Dec — Isaac Smith — double bass / synth

Thu 3 Dec — Andy Wright — drums / percussion

Fri 4 Dec — Daniel Beban — prepared guitar

Sat 5 Dec — Nell Thomas — theremin / electronics / objects

Sun 6 Dec — Simon Cuming — electronics

Tue 8 Dec — Steve Roche — brass / keys

Wed 9 Dec — Chrissie Butler — amplified objects (with Winter McQuinn & Tim Humphrey)

Thu 10 Dec — Kieran Monaghan — modular synth / drums

Fri 11 Dec — Erika Grant — gongs

Sat 12 Dec — Bridget Kelly — sax / harp / voice

Sun 13 Dec — Blair Latham — sax