In July, I found myself exhibiting again in Tahiti. TikiMiki was the result of my fascination with this incredible place, and the paradoxes that face it as it assimilates its past with the fast changing present.
The show took the form of drawings, paintings, video installation and photographs.
The Forest Gathering – pencil, acrylic on paper 60 x 40 cm (after Lucien Gauthier)
Cultural Totems, after Lucien Gauthier – 40 x 60 cm
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Gauguin’s poignant title provokes a dialogue that is no less topical now than it was in 1898 when he completed his seminal painting. Like many cultures, Tahitians strive to integrate the narrative of their past with the invasion of global popular culture. The Tiki has become a brand or an icon for Tahiti, in the same way as Mickey acts like a global ambassador for the pervasive soft power of Disney and the American dream. Its iconography transcends borders and continents. TikiMiki represents this alliance between Primitive and popular culture.