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Exhibition Packages

Exhibition Packages are an initiative of the Fijian Art Research Project where the project team has been able to facilitate, most often, smaller regional museums in the UK to display items from their own Fijian collections. Such displays vary in size from a single case to an entire gallery, depending on the requirements of the participating museum, and are facilitated by the project team giving expertise, advice and enhanced interpretation of the objects to each curator who is mounting the exhibition. As an official output of the Fijian Art Research Project, these Exhibition Packages allow the project to provide the funds to assist each museum with the costs of producing text panels, labels and other display materials, in order for each participating museum's Fijian collections to be seen, sometimes for the first time.

This page will be updated to feature each exhibition that the Exhibition Packages initiative has helped to facilitate.

 

Fiji, Scotland and the Making of Empire (Kings Museum, University of Aberdeen)

With the collaboration of the Fijian Art project's exhibition packages scheme and the Scottish Pacific Collections Review, the University of Aberdeen Museums have launched a new temporary exhibition at the King's Museum entitled Fiji, Scotland & the Making of Empire.

Neil Curtis, the University's Head of Museums, has created an exhibition which explores the prominent role of the Scots in Fiji's early colonial history. The first British governor Sir Arthur Gordon, his nephew A.J.L. Gordon and the early colonial medical officer William MacGregor were all Aberdeenshire men. All three were influential in the early colonial administration and left collections of significant material to the University of Aberdeen.

The exhibition draws on these remarkable collections, including some of the rarest historical Fijian artefact types. A good example of this is the University's very fine female double deity figure, of which only a handful are known to remain in the world; this one was given to MacGregor by Ro Matanitobua of Namosi in the 1870s, and had been in his family for at least seven generations. The carving's refinement, serenity and symmetry are unequalled.

A programme of activities has been organised in association with this exhibition, and the University of Aberdeen's hosting of the 2014 conference of the Museum Ethnographers Group. As part of this programme, the project's Andy Mills will be speaking about Fijian art at the Museum on May 10th as part of the city's May Festival.

Fiji, Scotland and the Making of Empire runs until 23rd April 2014.

Above: Three world-class Fijian ivory ornaments (top-bottom: wasekaseka, sisi, civavonovono) on display in the Kings Museum, Aberdeen (photo: University of Aberdeen Museums).

 

Far Side of the World: Torquay's Fijian Connection (Torquay Museum)

Far Side of the World: Torquay's Fijian Connection

 

The Torquay Museum, on 21 September 2013, opened an exhibition featuring its Fijian material. Helped by the Fijian Art Research Project, namely Andy Mills and Karen Jacobs, Far Side of the World: Torquay's Fijian Connection, is the first of the project's exhibition packages to be realised.

Curated by Mr Barry Chandler, Torquay's exhibition highlights aspects of Fijian art, society and culture using significant objects from their own collection, supplemented by historical photographs from the MAA. The museum's Fijian material was donated by three prominent members of colonial 19th century Fiji: Adolph Brewster Brewster, Arthur Hebden Ogilvie and the Honourable Charles Richard Swayne. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see adornments, weapons, tools, pottery, barkcloth, baskets and many more interesting objects until it closes on 22 February 2014. For more information on the exhibition and the museum, please visit their website.

As an additional supplement to the exhibition, Andy Mills will be giving a public lecture on Fijian art and culture on Tuesday 8 October 2013 at the Torquay Museum.

The project is very pleased that it was able to help Barry and the Torquay Museum realise this exhibition through our exhibition packages and wish them congratulations on its opening!

The Fijian exhibition at the Torquay Museum, open from 21 September 2013 to 22 February 2014

A view of the new Fiji exhibition at the Torquay Museum, open from 21 September 2013 to 22 February 2014 (photo: Torquay Museum).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo of Fijian figure

Above: A rare female double-figure in sperm whale ivory (ABDUA 4651), one of the treasures on display at the University of Aberdeen until 23rd April 2014 (photo: University of Aberdeen Museums).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

display case that is part of Torquay Museum's new Fiji exhibition

Above: One of the display cases in the new Fiji exhibition at the Torquay Museum, open from 21 September 2013 to 22 February 2014 (photo: Torquay Museum).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Site designed by Katrina Talei Igglesden, Jeremy Bartholomew, Karen Jacobs and Steven Hooper at the Sainsbury Research Unit