The National Museum's role in the development of contemporary art in the Solomon Islands. Artists Dick Taumata, Kuai Maueha, Frank Haikiu, Rex Mahuta, Jack Saemala and Billy Vina are discussed.
Written with Vincent Megaw. Looks at land claims and the role of artworks in these claims in the context of the exhibition 'Native Titled Now' shown as part of the Telstra Festival of Arts 1996. Good overview of indigenous art practice and talks about artists such as Raymond Arone Meeks, Lin Onus, Gordon Bennett, Alice Hinton-Bateup, Avril Quaill, Kerry Giles, Daphne Naden, Mick Namarari, Turkey Tolson, Danie Mellor, Jonathan Kumintjara Brown, Clifford Possum, Ellen Jose, Lindsay Bird Mpetyane, Heather Shearer and Kathleen Wallace.
Overview of the 7th Pacific Festival of Arts which is held in a different country every 4 years. 1996 the festival was held in Apia in Western Samoa. Previous hosts 1992 Raratonga, Cook Islands 1988 Townsville Queensland Australia Lists the communities of Aboriginal Australians who were in attendance at the festival.
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.
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.
Book review The Necessity of Craft: Development and Women's Craft Practice in the Asian Pacific Region
Edited by Lorna Kaino
University of Western Australia Press 1995
RRP $24.95
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).
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.
Pacific Islands Theatre is at an exciting phase in New Zealand. Although relatively young compared to Maori and Pakeha theatre, the debut of key successful plays has placed it in the spotlight of New Zealand's national stage in recent years as it continues to gain strength.
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.