Maia Nuku, Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede Curator for Oceanic Art, along with Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and special guests Michael Mel and Arapata Hakiwai, lead an exhibition tour celebrating the renovation and reopening of the Arts of Oceania galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. The tour highlights exceptional works from Oceania, including carved bisj poles from the Asmat region, towering slit drums from Vanuatu, and contemporary pieces by Aboriginal artist Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, as well as insights from artists from Mariwai village, Papua New Guinea, on the reconfiguration of panels from the Kwoma ceremonial ceiling.
This reopening matters because it presents a renewed, culturally informed perspective on Oceania's millennia-long artmaking traditions, emphasizing the relationship between past and present, tradition and innovation. By involving Indigenous voices and contemporary artists, the exhibition underscores the diversity and ongoing vitality of Oceanic visual culture, making it a significant moment for both the museum and the broader art world in recognizing and honoring non-Western artistic heritage.