Date / Time
Date(s) - Friday 19 April 2024 to Friday 27 September 2024
All day
Opening hours
Entrance:
COMMISSARIAT
Marine Vallée
General curator.
Doctor in art history, Assistant curator – Te Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, EASTCO EA 4241 laboratory – University of French Polynesia.
Jean-Christophe Shigetomi
Honorary President of the Taapuna Surf Club, President of Mémoire polynésienne
Association, bearer of Hōrue Project 2024,memory keeper, author.
Hennessy Maraeauria
Atist, representing the HĀMANI LAB ASSOCIATION
VAGUES D’HIER ET D’AUJOURD’HUI
‘Are nō mua ra, ‘Are nō teie nei
Waves from the past, waves from the present
From April 19 to September 27, 2024, Te Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles features the exhibition « Hōrue : waves from the past, waves from the present ». It traces the history of surfing in French Polynesia, echoing the events of the 2024 Olympic Games dedicated to this practice and to be held in Teahūpo’o, Tahiti.
Bringing together 21 artists from the local contemporary scene, the exhibition explores Polynesian waves, past and present. It traces the place of surfing in Tahiti and in the archipelagos of French Polynesia, both in its historical aspect and its modern developments.
Through ethnohistorical narratives referring to oral traditions, as well as written testimonies from fascinated Western observers from the end of the 18th century, this event immerses spectators in this practice of sliding on waves.
The aim is also to replace the practice of hōrue / surfing in a local approach, often ousted by an imaginary associated almost exclusively with the Hawaiian archipelago.
This historical section then addresses « the Tahitian wave », a Polynesian surge on the French and then European scene from the 1960s. The first local clubs and associated personalities, as well as the waves and places of expression of these oceanic feats are thus illustrated.
A series of contemporary artworks and installations echo the antiquity of these themes.
Lifestyles and expressions associated with « gliding – fa’ahe’e » illustrate the « surfing way of life » in its most functional aspects as well as the most spiritual, reflections of a practice of enthusiasts.
Sculptures in the round, silkscreen prints, abstract or figurative paintings, sound installation, refer to the interpretations expressed by artists around their individual or collective fascination for a sliding practice, and what it represents in today’s Polynesian society.
On the eve of the 2024 Olympic Games and in the heart of contemporary Polynesian surfing, discover «Pererure », the famous wave of the « Hāva’e » pass at Teahūpo’o, its rise and singularities, a fertile source of artistic inspiration.
This exhibition also puts into perspective this evolution through the eyes of contemporary visual artists: they offer testimonies of what this wave represents for Polynesian or international surfers, as well as within contemporary Polynesian society.
Sculpted and painted boards, sculptures in the round, paintings, projections and installations are on display.
Hōrue : waves from the past, waves from the present will be accompanied by a series of events : artistic workshops open to the public, series of film and documentary screenings on surfing themes, meetings, etc.
COLLABORATORS
Practical information
The exhibition runs until Sunday 21 January 2024 inclusive.
40 54 84 35
accueil@museetahiti.pf
