Power and Prestige: The Art of Clubs in Oceania

Description

The book features a selection of works ranging from 40 centimetres in height to over two metres, to be staged in Venice by the Giancarlo Ligabue Foundation in partnership with the Musee du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris, which will be the next site to host the exhibition. The exhibition also involves the collaboration of the British Museum, which has contributed some "extremely important" loans; curated by Steve Hooper, it presents exhibits from collections in the United Kingdom and Europe, including some objects from the Venice collection itself. For a long time these clubs were simply considered as weapons used by "savage" tribes, and were relegated to a minor role, but these 'power' clubs are actually a complex expression of Oceanic art and were key objects used in trade and ceremonies.

Steven Hooper is Sainsbury Research Unit Director, Professor of Visual Arts.