Kermadec: Nine Artists in the South Pacific - Tonga

Issue Brief Read time:
Projects: Global Ocean Legacy Kermadec
Kermadec: Nine Artists in the South Pacific - Tonga

It is well known that New Zealand and Tonga share much in common. This includes our Polynesian heritage, stories of migration and a range of mutual passions, not the least of which is our love of creative expression, whether through oratory, visual art or performance.

What is not so well known is that while at first glance it appears that we are separated by a vast expanse of ocean, we are in fact connected by it. Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean that spans our two shores lies the world’s longest underwater volcanic arc. This arc connects the North Island of New Zealand to the Tonga’s 10-kilometre-deep trench. It is an extraordinary unexplored world in which both countries can be proud to have a stake.

Everyday expressions of that oceanscape materialise in events that often go unnoticed, such as the annual migration of the humpback whale through Tonga to shelter and breed before departing for the colder waters south of New Zealand. It is important for us to take time to reflect on how extraordinary and special the natural, cultural and historic connections between our two countries are. The Kermadec Exhibition provides an opportunity for such contemplation.

This exhibition brings together work from nine of the South Pacific’s most prestigious and highly acclaimed artists in honour of a journey that they took through the Kermadec region, ending in the Kingdom of Tonga, in May 2011. It is a journey that lives on through the New Zealand High Commission’s hosting of this special exhibition. It is our privilege to share it with the people of Tonga.

Malo ‘aupito.

—Jonathan Austin
New Zealand High Commissioner
Kingdom of Tonga

Related Experts
Matt Rand
Matt Rand Senior Director
Marine Habitat Protection
America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
RELATED
Topics
Ocean Conservation
Projects
Global Ocean Legacy Kermadec
Experts
Matt Rand
Places
New Zealand South Pacific

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.”

Article

April 10, 2024 WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water.

Article

April 4, 2024 Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
A landscape with mountains and clouds. BLM Rule Puts Conservation, Other Land Uses on Equal Footing

MORE FROM PEW

A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
An illustration of a couple holding hands walking away from an outline of houses behind them Pathways to Homeownership: Housing in America
A photograph of City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia to Address Pressing Policy Challenges
A bright blue T-cell infected by HIV is engulfed by hundreds of yellow virions. Pew Researcher Seeks to Crack Code on HIV Cure
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.