Art of the Pacific

Overview

A series of works at the National Gallery of Victoria will highlight the art and traditions of Australia's Pacific neighbours. Visible to the public between June and mid-September, the works on display include a trio of bark cloth wall hangings, a two-channel video installation, and a collection of staged photographs that bear witness to the moment when two very different worlds came together.

Dubbed The Raft of the Tagata Pasifika, the photographs are by Greg Semu, a New Zealand-born artist of Samoan descent, whose work has often explored the meeting place of Pacific and European culture. Using a cast of Indigenous actors from the Cook Islands, Semu has recreated a pair of European paintings from the 1800s — and in doing so draws attention to the devastating effect colonialism had on the region.

Also featured is Lisa Reihana's in Pursuit of Venus, a live-action video work that brings to life a piece of nineteenth century panoramic wallpaper, in order to "recalibrate colonial history" through the cultural rituals of Indigenous performers.

Complementing these works are three enormous wall hangings created by contemporary artists Robin White and Ruha Fifita in collaboration with women from Haveluloto, Tonga.