Last night Conway Street saw the opening of the fabulous new show: Hailans to Ailans. People had come from all round the globe to see the first ever major exhibition of contemporary art from Papua New Guinea. The show boasted a vast wealth of extraordinary treasures and was opened by Jean Kekedo the High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea. Pictures with credit to Roland Kemp Photography.
This autumn, a ground breaking international exhibition entitled Hailans to Ailans, will showcase five major contemporary artists from Papua New Guinea. The exhibition will be in two parts on two continents: at The Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery in London, UK and Alcheringa Gallery in Victoria, Canada. As one of the exhibition locations, Vancouver Island, lies in the territory of the Coast Salish people of Canada, two leading Coast Salish artists have been invited to participate at both locations, further enhancing opportunities for cross-cultural sharing
The title of this exhibition, in Melanesian Pidgin means “Highlands to Islands”, and will represent both male and female artists from the different regions, these featuring work in a variety of media including sculpture in wood and metal, performance and fibre art, and painting. As artists struggle to retain their rich artistic heritage being eroded by the forces of modernization, this cultural project will promote global recognition of the meanings, values and diversity of Papua New Guinea contemporary visual arts.
The Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery has a long history of involvement with aboriginal people on both sides of the Pacific. For over twenty years the gallery has promoted the work of individual artists from various parts of the Pacific Rim including the Canadian Northwest Coast, Australia, the Solomon Islands, the Torres Strait and Papua New Guinea. Many of these artists have become familiar names to a widening group of international collectors, but their participation in this international exhibition, which will receive greater critical focus, marks a major milestone in their careers.
Funding for this exhibition has been provided by the Christensen Fund in San Francisco, and the NASFUND in Papua New Guinea, and will assist in bringing the artists to the events surrounding the openings at both venues, and allow a direct understanding of the artists and their unique cultural experiences.
The title of this exhibition, in Melanesian Pidgin means “Highlands to Islands”, and will represent both male and female artists from the different regions, these featuring work in a variety of media including sculpture in wood and metal, performance and fibre art, and painting. As artists struggle to retain their rich artistic heritage being eroded by the forces of modernization, this cultural project will promote global recognition of the meanings, values and diversity of Papua New Guinea contemporary visual arts.
The Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery has a long history of involvement with aboriginal people on both sides of the Pacific. For over twenty years the gallery has promoted the work of individual artists from various parts of the Pacific Rim including the Canadian Northwest Coast, Australia, the Solomon Islands, the Torres Strait and Papua New Guinea. Many of these artists have become familiar names to a widening group of international collectors, but their participation in this international exhibition, which will receive greater critical focus, marks a major milestone in their careers.
Funding for this exhibition has been provided by the Christensen Fund in San Francisco, and the NASFUND in Papua New Guinea, and will assist in bringing the artists to the events surrounding the openings at both venues, and allow a direct understanding of the artists and their unique cultural experiences.