Tahiti‘s galleries have paintings, sculptures, photographs and various other works by major contemporary artists on exhibit: Gotz, Detloff, Deloffre, Bousquet, Mancarelli, to name only a few. Collective contemporary art exhibits are also regularly organised at the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands. Authentic artists’ haunts can be found on other islands, such as Moorea, Huahine and the Marquesas, and a number of painters and sculptors will gladly admit you into their workshops. Just as the islanders to send you in their way.
The Centre des métiers d’art (Artists’ Centre), located in Pape’ete (the Mamao District), regularly opens its doors to let the public discover Fenua’s up-and-coming young talent. Each year, the centre brings artists together from all around the Pacific for a Pûtahi (gathering), usually in July or August.
Due to their dexterity and avant-garde vision, some artisans are able to raise handicrafts to the level of art. Throughout the year, fairs and exhibitions (Made in Fenua, the Marquesas Exhibition, the Austral Islands Exhibition and the Tuamotus Exhibition) give them the opportunity to put their works crafted from wood, stone, bone, pearls, plant fibres, mother-of-pearl, etc. on display. All year long: Pearl Museum (Paofai, Pape’ete)
Immerse yourself in the history, geology and settlement of the islands through permanent and temporary exhibitions (retrospectives, contemporary art, photography, etc.) in a picture-perfect setting: Fisherman’s Point, Punaauia.
Films, children’s stories, craft workshops (weaving, applied arts, etc.) every Wednesday and Friday and during school holidays, shows and plays…there is always something happening at this cultural centre! View the schedule of events at www.maisondelaculture.pf
Marae, monuments and monoliths: the past is everywhere on the island of Tahiti. Marae, some of which have been painstakingly restored, are primarily found in valleys. There are several dozen marae, most of which are hidden in out-of-the-way places. The Maroto Valley holds as vast archaeological complex bearing witness to human settlements at the heart of Tahiti long before the arrival of missionaries.
The arrival of the missionaries, Polynesian royalty, and the history of the last three centuries have left behind many monuments and sites to explore.
An itinerary with 20 stops all around Tahiti to help you unlock the secrets behind this typical Polynesian product.
More information is available at www.monoiaddict.com
Raiatea is considered to be the cradle of Polynesia civilisation as evident from its large archaeological complexes and marae , including the world renowned Taputapuatea marae.
WWII history buffs will find traces of the American military presence (fortifications, guns) from 1942 to 1946 on this advanced base for US troops in the Pacific, after the United States went to war against Japan (bombing of Pearl Harbour). You can also visit the small Marine Museum while there.
The mixed cargo/passenger vessel, the Aranui, offers 15-day cruises throughout all the islands where you can discover craftspeople, dancers and musicians. Guided tours of archaeological sites and specialist lectures (archaeologists, historians, ethnologists, etc.) make this cruise a cultural holiday no one should miss.
Since 1987, this major art festival has been welcoming representatives every four years from all six islands of the archipelago as well as participants from other islands in French Polynesia and in the Pacific. Three days of dance, handicraft exhibits and traditional Polynesian games are held at locations that will take your breath away.
The next festival will be held on Hiva Oa in December 2015.
Painter Paul Gauguin and singer-songwriter Jacques Brel are both buried in Hiva Oa. The memory of them lingers over the island and old-timers still have some stories to tell about these two men, who spent their last days in the “Land of Men”. Two cultural centres, one dedicated to Paul Gauguin and the other dedicated to Jacques Brel, bring them back to life during a fascinating interactive tour.
Every 3 to 4 four years, this history-filled island brings together representatives from the four corners of the Tuamotus for a week-long festival. A relatively unknown event that is worth the trip… The next festival will be held in December 2015
Very few tourists make it as far as the distant Gambier Islands (1,650 km from Tahiti). The main island, Mangareva, rich in historic remnants testifying to the activities of Catholic missionaries in the mid-19th century, is the centre of Tahiti’s cultured pearl industry.
One month after the mutiny aboard the British vessel, HMS Bounty, on 28 April 1789, the mutineers made a stop in Tubuai on their way back to Tahiti but received a decidedly inhospitable reception from the inhabitants. The bay where the Bounty lay at anchor on the northwest side of the island opposite the pass is still known as Baie Sanglante (Bloody Bay). The mutineers stayed only a few months and spent most of their time on the motu.
Vestigios arqueológicos (marae), huellas históricas, museos y exposiciones ofrecen oportunidades de aprender sobre Tahití y sus islas a través de su historia y su cultura. Aunque la mayoría de los museos y centros culturales se encuentran en Tahití, los archipiélagos también cuentan con centros culturales y pequeños museos en los que se organizan eventos propios. Se pueden asimismo improvisar unas estancias culturales temáticas en función de sus gustos (cine, arqueología, arte contemporáneo, historia…).
Las galerías de Tahití exponen a los grandes nombres del arte contemporáneo, con pintura, escultura, fotografía y diversas instalaciones: Gotz, Detloff, Deloffre, Bousquet, Mencarelli… Unas exposiciones colectivas de arte contemporáneo también se organizan regularmente en el Museo de Tahití y sus islas. En las otras islas, algunas de ellas verdaderos refugios de artistas como Moorea, Huahine, pero asimismo las Marquesas, numerosos pintores y escultores le harán visitar encantados su taller. Pida a los habitantes que le guíen hasta ellos.
El centro de los oficios de arte, situado en Papeete (barrio de Mamao), también abre regularmente sus puertas al público para hacer descubrir los jóvenes talentos del fenua. Cada año, el centro reúne con motivo de los Pûtahi (en julio/agosto generalmente) a artistas procedentes del Pacífico.
Durante todo el año, unas exposiciones y ferias (Made in Fenua, feria de las Marquesas, de las Australes, de las Tuamotu…), permiten a los artesanos exponer y vender sus productos de madera, piedra, hueso, perlas, fibras vegetales, nácar, etc. Todo el año: Museo de la Perla (Paofai, Papeete).
Una inmersión en la historia, la geología, el poblamiento de las islas, con exposiciones permanentes y temporales (retrospectivas, arte contemporáneo, fotografía…), en un entorno privilegiado, en la Punta des Pêcheurs de Punaauia.
Proyecciones, cuentos para niños, talleres de trabajos manuales (trenzado, artes plásticas…) los miércoles y viernes así como durante las vacaciones escolares, espectáculos y obras de teatro: ¡siempre hay algo! Programa disponible en: www.maisondelaculture.pf
Marae, monumentos, estelas…: el pasado está por todas partes en la isla de Tahití. Los marae, algunos de ellos restaurados cuidadosamente, se encuentran fundamentalmente en los valles. Hoy se cuentan varias decenas, en su mayoría situados en zonas poco accesibles. El valle del Maroto alberga un amplio complejo arqueológico, testimonio del poblamiento del centro de Tahití antes de la llegada de los misioneros.
La llegada de los misioneros, la monarquía polinesia, la historia de los tres primeros siglos ha dejado numerosos monumentos y lugares a explorar:
Un itinerario con 20 etapas alrededor de todo Tahití para descubrir los secretos de fabricación de este producto típicamente polinesio.
Información en: www.monoiaddict.com
Raiatea es considerada la cuna del poblamiento polinesio, como lo demuestran sus importantes complejos arqueológicos de marae, entre ellos el marae internacional de Taputapuatea.
Los aficionados a la historia de la II Guerra Mundial encontrarán huellas (bunkers, cañones…) de la presencia de los estadounidenses (de 1942 a 1946) en esta base avanzada de las tropas americanas en el Pacífico, tras su entrada en guerra contra Japón (batalla de Pearl Harbour). Un pequeño Museo de la Marina también puede ser visitado.
