An alternative festival celebrating the people of the Pacific was held on one of the outer islands (Manono) in Western Samoa at the same time as the official Pacific Festival of the Arts in Apia. The festival was conducted from 8-23 September 1996.
What do a traditional Maori canoe (waka) and a cattle truck have in common?...In both these cases these vehicles were conveyors of culture. These images are central to two collaborative works at the second Asia Pacific Triennial of Pacific Art at the Queensland Art Gallery.
Discussion with the artist Banduk Marika about the issues facing her community of Yirrkala in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Indigenous art practice and land rights, cultural heritage, education and knowledge, environmental protection and mining intrusions are discussed.
Today the art of the Pacific Islanders is still trapped within its category. The display cases of the institutions have not been shattered. Yet the very act of exhibiting demonstrates that the making and the appreciation of art is a dynamic process. Institutions are caught by a need to both legitimise themselves and acknowledge (and perhaps attempt to control) the art of the migrant communities.
Collecting Pacific Art is not a straight forward endeavour. There are really no set criteria of what 'contemporary Pacific art' might be, little interpretive literature on the subject and very few precedents for forming even small collections for cultural institutions. There is a new cultural centre 'the Jean-Marie Cultural Centre' being built in Noumea, New Caledonia.
Exhibition review Secret Places
Sieglinde Karl, Hazel Smith, Kate Hamilton, Ron Nagorka
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery,
Touring regional Australia through Contemporary Art Services Tasmania and the national Exhibitions Touring Scheme.
One of the most insidious myths about contemporary Maori architecture is that it does not exist, since 'traditional' Maori building design has been influenced by colonial architecture. Looks at contemporary issues in Maori architecture.
In 1994, the small Balai community of Malaita Province, Solomon Islands, commenced paper making which led to the development of printmaking. Small enterprises and ecotourism may well be the future of these small island communities.
Performing arts in the Solomon Islands Since the common determining facts in whether to keep, add changes, or reject aspects of the performing arts are based on the dollar, Solomon Islanders will continue to adopt new styles of dances, music, songs and forms of acting in the same way as some Church groups have done.
Reflections on an exhibition in Vanuatu of old pieces of ni Vanuatu art held in European collections. Touring Exhibition 'Arts of Vanuatu' 29 June - 10 August 1996 at the National Museum of Vanuatu in the national capital of Port Vila.
Taki Rua Theatre has been at the cutting edge of indigenous theatre since its inception in 1983. It has now produced a season of Maori plays in te reo Maori (Maori language).
Women artists were conspicuously absent from the important exhibition 'Luk Luk Gen'. The exhibition 'Pacific Dreams' included textile works by the artist Agatha Waramin who works with bilums and the exhibition 'Weaving the Old with the New' will extend women's exposure in an artistic context.