Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
12 Aug 2023 - 14 Apr 2024
National Museum of Scotland
About Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth.
Rising Tide considered our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists. The vulnerabilities of Oceanic countries to climate change were highlighted, whilst showcasing the strength and resilience of their diverse communities.
This exhibition included master fisherman Anthony C Guerrero's contemporary woven baskets made from plastic construction strapping found on his local beach in Guam. Also on display was the latest version of artist George Nuku’s installation, Bottled Ocean 2123, which imagines the state of the oceans 100 years into the future in an immersive, undersea landscape crafted from single use plastic bottles.
Rising Tide also featured historical material from National Museums Scotland's collections, such as spear points from the Kimberley region of Western Australia made by Aboriginal men from discarded glass bottles.
Image gallery
Exhibition highlights
Bottled Ocean 2123
Find out more about George Nuku's installation, Bottled Ocean 2123. This video was produced by Chocolate Films.
Our work
Sustainability at National Museums Scotland
We are committed to changing our approach to address the climate and biodiversity challenges. Learn more about our vision for sustainable development.Find out morePacific Collections in Scottish Museums
Find out about our collaborative work aiming to reconnect dispersed Pacific collections held in museums across Scotland.Find out more
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