The mana of the gift: Pacific cultures, colonial power, contemporary art

Lecture by Nicholas Thomas accompanying the special exhibition He Toi Ora – A Living History. As early as 1769, Europeans were astonished by the virtuosity and power of M?ori art, and by other Oceanic art traditions. The early encounters between Europeans and Indigenous peoples across Oceania involved knowledge-sharing and generosity, but also tension, violence and appropriation. ….This talk will consider a series of moments, from the acquisition of M?ori artefacts in the eighteenth century to their activation by contemporary artists today. The lecture will be held in English.