A new investigation, conducted under the aegis of art, into the ecological issues of the Pacific Islands, one of the regions that suffers the most the consequences of climate change, is at the centre of the new incredible voyage of Ocean Space. The exhibition, named Re-Stor(y)ing Oceania and produced by TBA21 – Academy and Artspace Sydney in cooperation with OGR Torino, includes art by indigenous Pacific Islanders Latai Taumoepeau and Elisapeta Hinemoa Heta.
Curator Taloi Havini explains how “We are sending out an SOS. We are in a state of emergency. The planet’s oceans are critically endangered. Our oceanic chants teach us to hold and respect all bodies of water as sacred spaces. We look to the deep abyss of the ocean as a place of becoming; it is where life began and where sediments of life are rebirthed. These new commissions by Latai Taumoepeau and Elisapeta Hinemoa Heta honor the ocean and the skin of the seabed that lies beneath her waters. Employing Indigenous values and protocols, these works invite you to join them in solidarity for our oceans.” The art installations comprise interactive machine sculptures that give voice to Pacific Islanders and dynamic, living project sites that represent the rituals and ceremonies guided by the Maˉori concept of tikanga, meaning ‘right’ or ‘correct’.
