1998 was a pivotal year for New Caledonia, politically and artistically. In May the opening of the splendid yet controversial Tjibaou Cultural Centre* coincided, not surprisingly, with the signing of further political accords with France (although these accords should result eventually in greater autonomy for the New Caledonian territory). By October, political parties were campaigning for the November 8 referendum which considered the establishment of New Caledonian citizenship (the 'Yes' vote eventually received majority support) and the 3rd Biennale of Contemporary Art was staged, organised again by the Ville de Nouméa.
This Biennale was particularly welcomed by New Caledonia's visual arts community which recognised that a cultural coup d'état had taken place in the appointment of an independent curator, Jean-Hubert Martin, Senior Curator at the Musée des Arts Africains et Océaniens, and previously Director of the Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris. Furthermore, as 1998 was France's official year of links with Japan, the participation of Japanese artists became a dominant influence in shaping the Biennale.
Jean-Hubert Martin identified three qualities which ran as common threads through the works in the Biennale: European art in a new form, the product of evolution; Kanak art, issuing from an ancient tradition; and Japanese art, which he argued is situated between tradition and modernity. 'The common point between these groups', he added, 'was exchange, the will to open up to the world.'
Prior to his involvement in this Biennale, Martin had already visited New Caledonia several times, being a member of the board for the development of the new Cultural Centre. As senior curator for the exhibition Magiciens de la Terre (Centre Georges Pompidou, 1989) Martin gained renown for his interest in introducing Western... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline