Voices of the Pacific. Innovation and Tradition

From 28 May to 14 September, CaixaForum Madrid will host an exhibition that brings together over 200 objects that represent the artistic and cultural wealth of different cultures and historic periods of Oceania. This impressive island art and crafts exhibition includes historical artefacts as well as works by contemporary pieces that reflect the creativity and sensitivity of the populations in the Pacific Ocean.

From New Guinea to Hawaii and from Rapa Nui to New Zealand, Oceania is presented as a mosaic of islands united by the Pacific Ocean, a source of subsistence and connection that has inspired the cultural development of these populations over the centuries.  Over the millennia, the cultures of these islands have developed a variety of every day and ceremonial objects, among which ceremonial paddles, carved basalt figures, mulberry bark dresses, hats, models of war canoes, mother of pearl necklaces and hooks stand out.

The exhibition classifies these pieces from the British Museum Collection in seven themed sections: Innovation and Tradition, Innovators, Weavers, Dancers, Warriors, Carvers and Voyagers, each showcasing the rich cultural heritage of these Oceanic populations.

Image Credits:

• Paula Chan Cheek. Wedding dress made out of bark, 2014.  Mulberry bark, pandanus leaf, coconut fibre, mother of pearl shell and harakeke (linen from New Zealand). © The Trustees of the British Museum
• Model of a Vanuatu canoe. 1850-1880. Wood, pandanus and fibre. © The Trustees of the British Museum
• Tiki Ke’a (ancestor figure) from the Marquesas Islands. 1800-1850. Basalt. © The Trustees of the British Museum
• Carving of an Ulawa dolphin, Solomon Islands. 1850-1900. Wood, mother of pearl shell. © The Trustees of the British Museum