VICTORIA, BC • CANADA
Sign up for our Newsletter Join us on Facebook Facebook
Alcheringa - Fine Tribal Art of the Northwest Coast, Papua New Guinea, and Australia

Hailans to Ailans is a groundbreaking international exhibition of contemporary art and ideas from Papua New Guinea. Through spectacular wood and metal sculpture, weaving, painting, and performance, the indigenous artists in this show explore questions about colonization and exchange, tradition and innovation, cultural and environmental sustainability, and the nature of identity in a fast-changing world.





All artwork is available for sale immediately. An 80-page full-colour catalogue is available to order here.


Hailans to Ailans (meaning 'Highlands to Islands' in Tok Pisin) is a two-part international exhibition presenting contemporary artists from Papua New Guinea (PNG). These artists work in a variety of media, including painting, metal sculpture, wood sculpture, weaving, and performance. Their work engages the vibrant cultural interplay transforming PNG society as it rapidly modernizes while seeking to preserve its ancient Melanesian heritage. This period of rapid change has been described as moving from the stone age to the space age in a lifetime. For contemporary Papua New Guinean artists, it has meant struggling to retain their indigenous cultural heritage while being challenged by the forces of modernization and colonial rule, confronting stereotypes of their cultures and knowledge as primitive and timeless.

- from the introduction by Co-curator Pamela Rosi


Find out more at hailanstoailans.com.


VICTORIA OPENING RECEPTION
November 5, 7-9pm
Alcheringa Gallery (665 Fort Street)
Participating artists Michael Mel (Western Highlands), Martin Morububuna (Trobriand Islands), Claytus Yambon (Sepik River), lessLIE (Coast Salish), and John Marston (Coast Salish) will attend.


PERFORMANCE EVENING
November 7, 7pm
Mungo Martin House, Thunderbird Park, Royal British Columbia Museum (corner of Belleville and Douglas)
A multicultural performance evening featuring theatre by Michael Mel (Western Highlands) and the Tzinquaw Dancers (Cowichan).


Email or call us (250-383-8224) for more information.