Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao arrives at the National Gallery of Australia
Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao, installation view, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, 2024
Key information
MEDIA RELEASE
27 JUN 2024
More than 130 of Paul Gauguin’s most renowned works have travelled from across the world for the first major exhibition of the artist’s work to be held in Australia – Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao at the National Gallery of Australia.
Opening Saturday 29 June, Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao marks the return of Paul Gauguin’s (1848-1903) work to the Moana/Pacific. Australian audiences will have a rare opportunity to view some of Gauguin’s most celebrated works of art in the part of the world that influenced him the most.
Curated by esteemed scholar of 19th century French art and former director of the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée du Louvre, Henri Loyrette, the exhibition charts Gauguin’s artistic and life journey from his Impressionist beginnings in France to his final years in Tahiti and the Marquesas.
Over five years in the making and with more than 140 works in total, Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao is among the most ambitious and complex exhibitions ever staged by the National Gallery. Drawn from 65 private and public collections, the exhibition includes important examples of Gauguin’s painting, drawing, prints, sculpture and ceramics. It will be the first time many of these works have been shown together. Highlights include Three Tahitians (Trois Tahitiens) 1899, Tahitian women (Femmes de Tahiti) 1891 and Parahi te marae (The sacred mountain) 1892.
Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao delves into Gauguin’s artistic battles, ambitions and singularity. From his early experiments in Synthetism and Symbolism, he forged new ground in portraiture, still life and landscape, cementing his reputation for an expressive use of materials and a bold, experimental approach to colour.
An avid traveller, Gauguin saw much of the world — from his early years with his mother’s family in Peru and his time as a merchant seaman — to working in Denmark, France, Martinique, Tahiti and, finally, the Marquesas Islands. As he travelled across continents, he was inspired by the places, cultures and people he encountered. Railing against industrial society and the cosmopolitanism of modern France, Gauguin fashioned himself in tune with his environment beyond metropolitan Europe. Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao includes a group of superlative self-portraits to show how he invented and reinvented his image as an artist.
Loyrette’s in-depth curatorial research examines how the artist belonged to his time and reveals how viewing his work with a contemporary lens enables new perspectives.
M. Henri Loyrette said: ‘Since the major Gauguin retrospective of 1988, many different exhibitions, focusing on specific periods and particular themes and techniques, have substantially enriched our knowledge. Now is a good time to reconsider the entire trajectory of Gauguin’s career, some 35 years later, relying on much recent work while bringing to bear a different point of view. Moreover, presenting such an exhibition here in the Pacific, where Gauguin’s life was finally quenched after his long Odyssean wanderings, inevitably bestows a special resonance.’
Like many other historic and contemporary artists, Gauguin’s life and art have increasingly and appropriately been debated here and around the world. In today’s context, Gauguin’s interactions in Polynesia in the late 19th century would not be accepted and are recognised as such. The National Gallery hopes to elevate First Nations voices from across the Moana/Pacific region while drawing on modern perspectives to examine Gauguin’s life, art and controversial legacy through talks, public programs, a podcast series and films.
Dr Nick Mitzevich, National Gallery Director said: ‘We are thrilled to be giving Australian audiences the opportunity to experience the work of Paul Gauguin – a visionary artist whose impact continues to reverberate today. In presenting this exhibition, it has been important that we embrace the art, culture and stories of our neighbours throughout the Moana/Pacific. Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao cements the region’s part in a key moment of art history, while we celebrate historical and contemporary Pasifika art with SaVĀge K’lub.’
Exclusively shown in Australia at the National Gallery, Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao will then travel to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in the United States opening later in 2024.
Presented alongside Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao and led by artist, poet and scholar Rosanna Raymond MZNM, SaVĀge K’lub: Te Paepae Aora’i – Where the Gods Cannot be Fooled opens 29 June. SaVĀge K’lub brings together multi-disciplinary artists from across the Moana to explore ideas of hospitality, culture and identity. Coming together in Kamberri/Canberra for the first time – SaVĀge K’lub celebrates diverse art forms and cultures, engaging in collaborative efforts to acti.VĀ.te individuals and objects to celebrate all forms of art and culture.
Raymond has curated the installation weaving together objects and works from the national collection with contemporary works from the SaVĀge K'lub collective. The installation is conceptually based on a paepae, a concept found in various forms and functions throughout the Moana Nui [the region of the Pacific Ocean]. Paepae exist outside the main marae [communal or sacred space], forming a threshold across which things pass back and forth.
Rosanna Raymond MNZM said: ‘Te Paepae Aora'i is a place to present cultural treasures, both static and living, artistic and ceremonial – creating new memories and constructing our past, present and future. Art possesses the unique ability to transcend borders and ideologies, fostering empathy and understanding across divides.’
Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao has been organised by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Art Exhibitions Australia. The exhibition has been made possible through the continued support and generosity of Principal Sponsor Mazda Australia, Principal Donor Singapore Airlines, Strategic Partner VisitCanberra, Media Partners News Corp and Seven West Media, and the Government of French Polynesia and Minister for Tourism. The exhibition is also supported by the Australian Government International Exhibitions Insurance (AGIEl) Program.
The National Gallery acknowledges the generosity of Exhibition Patrons Philip Bacon AO, Kay Bryan OAM, Christine Campbell and Terry Campbell AO, Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM, Penelope Seidler AM, Lyn Williams AM, Maurice Cashmere, Robert Meller and Helena Clarke.
Dress rehearsal for SaVĀge K’lub: Te Paepae Aora’i – Where the Gods Cannot be Fooled opening weekend activations, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, 2024
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao
29 June – 7 October 2024
Ticketed: Adult: $35 | Concession: $32 | Members: $27 | Kids (ages 5-16): $12 | Kids (ages 0-5): free
Book here
Join as a new National Gallery Member and receive a complimentary exhibition ticket, access to member events and the latest information on exhibitions, exclusive events.
SaVĀge K’lub: Te Paepae Aora’i – Where the Gods Cannot be Fooled
29 June – 7 October 2024
Level 2, Gallery 11, Free with Gallery entry ticket
PUBLICATION
Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao inspires new ways of seeing and thinking about one of the most renowned artists of the 19th century. Featuring more than 150 colour reproductions, this publication is the first to explore Gauguin’s inner journey and quest to develop his own identity, surveying his practice from its Impressionist beginnings and Symbolist leanings to his Polynesian periods. 288pp. 300 x 245mm. Full Colour | Paperback. RRP A$59.95
Download PDF here.
PODCAST
Hosted by award winning Samoan-Australian journalist Sosefina Fuamoli, this four-part podcast series explores the social, political and art historical themes surrounding Paul Gauguin, asking... can you love the art but loathe the artist? Each of the episodes will feature interviews with curators, loan institutions, art historians, community and museum representatives and technical experts including artists Yuki Kihari and Angela Tiatia, art historians Elizabeth C Childs and Dr Caroline Vercoe, author Daisy Lafarge and Polynesian knowledge holder Tahi Perinete.
Listen here.
EVENTS
The National Gallery invites audiences to join us onsite and online for a range of different programs, beginning with the Gauguin’s World Symposium on 28 June, followed by special opening weekend events and more throughout the exhibition seasons. For more information and bookings, visit here.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
A new pop-up café, Kitchen by Mike, will open on the lower ground floor of the National Gallery for Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao. Featuring scenic views of the National Sculpture Garden, the café serves light meals, pastries, coffee, tea and other beverages. Opening daily from 11am to 4pm from 28 June to 7 October 2024.
MEDIA KIT
Download here.
IMAGES & VIDEO
Available here
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
JESS BARNES
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E | jessica.barnes@nga.gov.au or media@nga.gov.au
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION TITLE
The exhibition’s Tahitian-language title Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao was developed by Dr Hiriata Millaud. Tōna Iho: meaning Gauguin’s soul, spirit, heart, thought, ideas, opinions, views. Tōna Ao: meaning all what constitute and shape Gauguin’s world.
Paul Gauguin, Portrait of the artist with ‘The yellow Christ’ (Portrait de l’artiste au ‘Christ jaune’), 1890–91, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, purchased with the participation of Philippe Meyer and Japanese sponsorship coordinated by the daily Nikkei 1993. Photo: (c) GrandPalaisRmn (musée d'Orsay) / René-Gabriel Ojeda
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Paul Gauguin
Born in Paris in 1848, Paul Gauguin’s voyages saw him travelling to parts of the world almost unimaginable to most people in the 19th century. His life as an intrepid traveller started in childhood when his family fled to Peru, escaping the 1848 revolution; they later returned to France, settling in Orléans. At 17, Gauguin joined the merchant marines and navy and adventured across the world. Back in Paris, he worked in a stockbrokers office and as an amateur painter, exhibiting his first landscape at the Paris Salon of 1876. Gauguin travelled to Brittany and Arles, Panama, the island of Martinique in the Caribbean, capturing the connections between people and their surrounding landscapes. In 1891 Gauguin left France for French Polynesia, living in Tahiti, where he created his most celebrated and compelling works. Although largely unrecognised in his lifetime, Gauguin’s art is now celebrated – like that of his friend and rival Vincent van Gogh. Gauguin’s work defines Post-Impressionism and Symbolism: it was highly influential for later artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. His vibrant use of colour and flattened decorative surfaces remain a motivating force for many artists in our times. Since his death in 1903, Gauguin has left two enduring and conflicting legacies – his art and himself.
Image courtesy of Henri Loyrette.
ABOUT THE CURATOR: Henri Loyrette
Henri Loyrette is a French 19th century art history scholar and former Director of the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée du Louvre, Paris. As director of the Louvre, Loyrette is recognised for having expanded the display of the museum’s collection, and the museum itself, to the Louvre-Lens in Northern France and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Loyrette’s areas of specialisation are 19th century painting and architecture. He is a renowned scholar and acknowledged expert on Edgar Degas, as well as Edouard Manet and other European artists of the period. His groundbreaking exhibitions include Degas at the Opéra at the Musée d’Orsay Paris, and National Gallery of Art Washington (2019); The Origins of Impressionism (1994); Degas, 1834–1917 (1988) and Chicago, Birth of a Metropolis (1987).
SaVĀge Klub Acti.VĀ.tion – K’Ainga the CommonWEALTH, 2023, Klub Measina, Image Courtesy of Liveworks, Photographer: Joseph Mayers
ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE: SaVĀge K'lub
First conceived by artist and scholar Raymond in 2010, the SaVĀge K'lub is named in reference to an historical gentleman's club first established in London in the 19th century. The capitalization of VĀ in the middle of the word privileges the Samoan notion of vā - relational space between people and things. Vā is one of the founding principles ensuring Moana-based creative practices and protocols are at the centre of their collective practice. The SaVĀge K’lub have participated in large-scale research-based art projects in Australia, Aotearoa NZ, UK and Hawaii working with Queensland Museum, QAGOMA, Auckland Museum, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongawera, the Bishop Museum and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
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