George Nuku

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC presents an insider’s perspective to the diverse cultures of the Pacific Islands with an animated exhibition entitled Paradise Lost? Contemporary Works from the Pacific. Curated by Dr. Carol Mayer (MOA Curator, Africa/Pacific), and organized to coincide with the Pacific Arts Association Symposium at MOA, the exhibition will feature the works of 13 artists displayed throughout MOA’s public spaces and at its downtown Satellite Gallery.

“Through idyllic tourist misrepresentations, Hollywood, and the ever-increasing popularity of tiki kitsch, the Pacific Islands occupy a place in the Western imagination as a paradise filled with white sandy beaches and lush, tropical landscapes inhabited by dusky maidens,” says Dr. Mayer.

“In Paradise Lost?, we aim to challenge these one- dimensional assumptions, presenting contemporary artists from the Pacific Islands who play with and invert such perceptions. Their work provides an alternate, more complex vision of the region.”

For Paradise Lost? Contemporary Works from the Pacific, Mayer has gathered an esteemed group of 13 contemporary artists from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Working in video, installation, sculpture, weaving, painting, and photography, these artists show the Pacific Islands from an insider’s perspective. Their artworks explore environmental concerns, cultural heritage issues, questions relating to the experience of migration and diaspora, and the intersection of Indigenous belief systems and Western religions.

Regenvanu The Melanesia Project
[Ralph Regenvanu, The Melanesia Project, 2006. Acrylic on canvas.]

The exhibiting artists include David Ambong, Tom Deko, Pax Jakupa Jr., Moses Jobo, Cathy Kata, Shigeyuki Kihara, Te Rongo Kirkwood, Eric Natuoivi, George Nuku, Rosanna Raymond, Ralph Regenvanu, Greg Semu, and Michael Timbin.

MOA presents Paradise Lost? Contemporary Works from the Pacific

Dates: July 24 to September 29: Museum of Anthropology at UBC, 6393 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver
July 24 to August 31: Satellite Gallery, 560 Seymour Street, 2nd floor, Vancouver
Opening reception: August 8, 6 to 9 pm; Satellite Gallery

Tickets (MOA): Adults, $16.75, Students and Seniors (65+), $14.50; free for children six and under

About MOA

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is world- renowned for its collections, research, teaching, public programs, and community connections. Founded in 1949 in the basement of the Main Library at UBC, its mission is to inspire understanding of and respect for world arts and cultures.

About Satellite Gallery
Satellite Gallery is an experimental exhibition space that is shared between the Museum of Anthropology (UBC), the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery (UBC), and Presentation House Gallery. Satellite Gallery is a project of the Michael O’Brian Family Foundation; their vision is to create a leading experimental project space in downtown Vancouver that provides education and experience in the arts, plus opportunities for student mentorship.

Visit the MOA website for more detail.

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