New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art is reopening its Galleries of the Arts of Oceania to the public for the first time since 2021, following a major renovation that allowed curators to reimagine the presentation of art from the vast Pacific region. The galleries feature more than 600 artworks from Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia, Australia, and New Zealand, including the iconic Kwoma ceiling installation from Papua New Guinea, which has been reconfigured with input from the artists' descendants to accurately reflect clan groupings. The renovation is part of a broader $70 million overhaul of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, which also houses collections from the ancient Americas and Africa.
The reopening marks a significant shift in how the Met presents non-Western art, moving away from its former "primitive art" framework toward a more culturally informed and collaborative approach. Curator Maia Nuku, the Met's first indigenous curator from Oceania and a member of New Zealand's Maori community, led the effort to "recalibrate" the collection for the 21st century, emphasizing the importance of community input and accurate representation. This reimagining reflects broader institutional efforts to decolonize museum practices and give source communities a voice in how their cultural heritage is displayed.