Oceania

Masterpieces from the collection of the musée du quai Branly — Jacques Chirac

Content

A huge network of islands nestling peacefully in the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, Oceania remains the most elusive of continents. Some of these islands are vast territories, others are archipelagos or fragile atolls. If artistic expressions in Oceania come in a great variety of forms and materials, they reveal above all the links that unite peoples to their environment, their way of life, and their beliefs.

The exhibition comprises two main parts. One showcases the arts of Melanesia, from Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands, the archipelago of Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The other is dedicated to the arts of Polynesia and Micronesia, exploring themes common to these many islands.

  • Exhibition curator : Mrs Constance de Monbrison, Head of the Insulindia collections at the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac
  • Number of works : 150
  • Surface area required : 800 - 1200 m²
  • Catalogue of the exhibition available in English and French

This exhibition is presented  :

  • At the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, China, from May 16 to August 18, 2019
  • Museo Nacional de las Culturas del Mundo, Mexico City, Mexico, from November 30, 2023, to September 1st, 2024
  • At the National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea, from April 30 to September 14, 2025

The exhibition in pictures

  • Pendentif Karahut
  • Figure double, Kopar

Pendentif Karahut, Collection MQB

Pendentif Karahut

© musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, photo Claude Germain