There’ll be 20 guided walks, installations scattered around the city, and work from creatives both here in Kirikiriroa and much further afield.

I was lucky enough to catch up to Han Chao, co-founder of Hanrad Bespoke Rugs on Alexandra Street, who has spent the past six months working tirelessly to bring COW to life.

Chao has more than 15 years’ experience in art management, working on international projects including Beijing Design Week and Maison & Objet Paris.

While working in Beijing, he came up with the idea of an after-work, walkable art experience - something people could wander through rather than having to deliberately visit a gallery.

Years later, that idea has made its way to Kirikiriroa.

Rather than creating a traditional gallery space, Chao’s idea was to turn Hamilton’s city centre itself into one.

That’s the idea behind the COW City Walk. You can explore it yourself using COW’s map, or join one of the 20 guided tours.

And Chao has been quite deliberate about making sure there’s always something else around the corner. He’s designed the route so you’ll encounter some kind of artwork or experience roughly every 20 metres.

COW consists of a few distinct categories. Some of it will feel more like a traditional exhibition. Exhibition + features carefully curated gallery spaces showcasing individual artists and designers.

Then things get a little weirder. Experience focuses on the playful and interactive side of art. Retail Activation brings work inside existing businesses, while Shopfront Reimagining turns the windows of empty shops into displays - giving otherwise blank spaces a bit of life.

And the Open Air Programme takes things outside entirely. That could mean a giant inflatable pink chair you can actually sit on. Or cute little cat stickers waiting to be discovered around the city.

There are talks happening throughout the 10 days too, but one in particular caught my attention:

Nine architects and artists have each been given a street in central Hamilton and asked to imagine how they would transform it.

Chao has no idea what they have come up with, but one example he gave was Collingwood Street becoming Hamilton’s first Chinatown.

It represents the core of what Chao is trying to achieve - a way of reinventing Hamilton’s heart.

Around 70% of the participating artists are local, but the programme stretches well beyond the Waikato.

An international open call attracted creatives from places including New York and Los Angeles, whose work will sit alongside pieces created here in Kirikiriroa.

And it’s not only artists getting involved. Central-city businesses have handed over windows, walls and corners of their shops - and some have ended up becoming part of the creative process themselves.

Marcus Patroz, owner of Texas Radio on Ward Street, got so excited by the idea that he ended up curating his own space inside the shop.

Chao has also carefully matched artists with businesses where there’s a connection between the space and the work. Different Avenue, a clothing consignment store, for example, has been paired with Kirikiriroa artist Ahsin Ahsin, whose work incorporates fabric.

The plan is for City of Wonder to return annually, while also becoming a brand for creative events and activations in the central city throughout the year.

Chao hopes those smaller events could begin from April next year, with the main design week eventually growing to take over the whole month of September.

Barry Radford, Chao’s fellow co-founder at Hanrad Bespoke Gallery, is passionate about Hamilton’s future and the changes he thinks need to happen.

That desire to change how people see and use the city is even reflected in the name City of Wonder.

It first came about when Chao asked Barry ‘What’s Hamilton known for?’ Barry smartly replied, ‘Cows.’ That’s when Chao came up with City of Wonder, aka COW. 🐮

It’s a cheeky little nod to our agricultural roots while deliberately presenting something much more urban, creative and unexpected.

Turning COW into a reality had to happen on a very tight budget. All of this has been done with only $20k to play with.

No artist has been paid for their contributions, but Chao and Barry hope this will change next year. Not only are they hoping for something larger and more interactive, but they also hope to at least compensate the creatives who work so hard. The next step, then, will be campaigning for more funding.

For now, though, the first City of Wonder is about getting people back into the city and showing them what is already possible.

I asked Chao what he wants the main takeaway of COW to be. He answered:

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