Main exhibition hall
The new permanent exhibition space of TE FARE IAMANAHA is dedicated to Polynesian culture. In an inviting space for free navigation, multiple circulation axes allow a visit where each archipelago is highlighted. Place of rediscovery and reconnection to the Polynesian cultural heritage, this new journey is intended to be a living space, a privileged place of transmission. The exhibition becomes a place of knowledge and recognition, of memory, of learning to look and of training for understanding.
discover
Dedicated to the NATURE environment, the beginning of the journey introduces the particular environment that contributed to shaping the material cultures of the archipelagos of French Polynesia. An interactive transitional space dedicated to the Polynesian conception of cosmogony and the creation of the world then immerses visitors in oral tradition.
The rest of the journey highlights the CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS AND PERMANENCES of the Polynesian society by themes (population, navigation, funeral rites, marae, sacred, fishing, everyday life, tapa, tattoo, dance and music). The specificities of each of the five archipelagos punctuate the journey by islands. They make it possible to achieve one of the major objectives of this museographic reconstruction: to highlight the cultural specificities of each of the five archipelagos of the region, in particular through ornaments, everyday or sacred objects.
connect
The exhibition also includes a section dedicated to WESTERN AND EASTERN POLYNESIA, presenting objects from the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Aotearoa – New Zealand, Hawaii and Rapa Nui. The common cultural background that unites Polynesian populations, beyond current borders, is thus highlighted.
Finally, dedicated to the first contacts between Polynesians and Westerners, the end of the journey addresses the transformations of Polynesian society, privileging those experienced by Polynesians. Personalities and events are thus evoked, as well as cultural upheavals and new developments: new materials, new tools, new weapons, new religion, new practices, new clothing customs, etc.
This last section, marking the encounter between two cultures and the shock between two worlds is symbolized
by the presentation of a fragment recently identified as part of the “Wallis maro‘ura“, a chief‘s belt
where a piece of the flag of the ship led by Samuel Wallis would have been integrated, deposited by the
Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in 2022.
knowledge
Ticketing
If you want to discover Polynesian culture
and immerse yourself in its history,
don‘t hesitate to buy your ticket to TE FARE IAMANAHA!