Abstract:
This thesis examines the museum collection practices and trajectories of objects collected by the French in the region today known as ‘French Polynesia’, from the eighteenth into the twenty-first century. It analyses the complementary role of two types of collectors – voyagers and non-travelling collectionneurs, in the constitution of French museum collections of material culture from French Polynesia. It considers the display practices associated with these collections both in French Parisian and regional museums, as well as in Tahiti and the Marquesas. It centres around case studies in Paris, including the quai Branly Museum – Jacques Chirac and the Pavillon des Sessions, eleven regional institutions, as well as museums and cultural centres in Tahiti and the Marquesas. In relation to the analysis of particular forms, the discussion is structured around collection and display practices of Marquesan ùu clubs, pestles, and tiki or ti’i figures. These forms emerge as key cultural and visual signifiers in relation to their pervasive presence in collections, and their representations in popular and visual cultural practices and displays. Greg Dening’s metaphor of ‘the beach,’ a liminal space of interactions and exchanges, acts as an overarching framework throughout the thesis, and is situated in relation to the contrasting idea of the ‘wall’, as a construct of exhibition display practices or the ‘enclosed spaces’ of the museum. In addition to conventional methods of display, the scope encompasses urban outdoor expressions relating to street art and online social media platforms. Indigenous curation is also considered in the context of cultural festivals to highlight interactions and affinities.
