Lisa Reihana |in Pursuit of Venus [infected]

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Lisa Reihana, “in Pursuit of Venus [infected],” no date

video still (courtesy of the artist and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki)

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC reopens its doors to the public on June 13, 2024 at 5pm, following an 18-month closure that saw the successful completion of cutting-edge seismic upgrades to its Great Hall, coupled with updated interpretations and new displays of Northwest Coast Indigenous art. As part of the reopening, MOA will present the Western Canadian premiere of the exhibition in Pursuit of Venus [infected],  in the Museum’s O’Brian Gallery. Created by famed Māori artist Lisa Reihana, a digitally animated interpretation of the French Neoclassical scenic wallpaper Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique—which portrays harmonious encounters between Europeans and Polynesians amidst a Tahitian landscape—depicts a decidedly darker narrative, exposing the oppressive and often violent exchanges absent from the utopian colonial portrayal. This provocative work, which has been presented in museums and galleries worldwide, seeks to disrupt notions of beauty, authenticity, history and myth. For admission details and exhibition information, visit: moa.ubc.ca