Previous exhibition
May 18th, 2004 — October 17th, 2004
Oceania
Pointe-à-Callière presented an exclusive world first: Oceania, a major exhibition of objects from the native peoples of the islands of Oceania, collected by European explorers in the 19th and early 20th century. The exhibition, produced by Pointe-à-Callière and the Luigi Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography, in Rome, brings together some 200 items of tremendous cultural significance, leaving the reserves of the Pigorini museum for the very first time.
An invitation to discover these islands at the ends of the Earth
Europeans were fascinated with Oceania, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Explorers, collectors and adventurers of all kinds roamed the waters of the Pacific in search of "curiosities" and exotic treasures. The objects they brought back with them eventually made their way to museum vaults, and today offer a window onto these complex and diverse cultures.
Even today, Oceania has a mysterious and exotic image. Fiji, Papua-New Guinea, New Caledonia, Easter Island-the vast expanses stir our imaginations. The first part of the exhibition introduces visitors to Oceania and its many archipelagos.
Next, the exhibition offers an overview of the lives of the different peoples of these Pacific islands in the 19th century. It focus on the discovery of items linked to rites, trade, war, and the worlds of men and of women. The variety of rituals, the rich decorations and the many different materials all combine to give the show a remarkable aesthetic dimension.
