MA Approaching Art across Cultures

20/10/2006

MA Approaching Art across Cultures: Gallery Tour of 'Pasifika Styles' with Curator/Creative Director in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, Wednesday 11th October 2006.

The Richmond MA in Art HIstory is unique in its intercultural focus and as such makes substantial use of museum and gallery resources on non-western and indigenous visual culture in and around London. As part of the Approaching Art across Cultures course, Dr Robert J. Wallis took students to 'Pasifika Styles' at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. Students were encouraged to apply skills learned during the course by critically engaging with the museum displays. Pasifika Styles http://www.pasifikastyles.org.uk/ is a major exhibition and festival (May 2006 - February 2008) celebrating contemporary art work inspired by Maori and Pacific Island cultures. At the museum, contemporary art by artists from the Pacific is juxtaposed with historic 'objects', disrupting conventional display strategies and often playing with irony to challenge visitor perceptions. Students therefore considered post-colonial and intercutliral issues in an era of globalisation and the new museology. Rosanna Raymond, Curator/Creative Director at the museum, gave a guided tour and MA students are now working with her towards final projects for the Approaching Art across Cultures course, as well as for MA thesis projects.

Link to this page: http://www.richmond.ac.uk/n/141.aspx