Other events in Baltic States

An exhibition to celebrate the life of one of the most prolific Artist from the Pacific Region since Paul Gaugan. Nicolai Michoutouchkine is of Russian heritage born in France. Michoutouckine studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, before serving in the army as a French citizen between 1957 and 1959 in New Caledonia, informs Society Development Fund "Tapa".

Michoutouckine settled in Vanuatu in the early 1960s and proceeded to build his Pacific arts collection through travelling and visiting most of the nations of the Pacific. Nicolai Michoutouchkine and his associate partner Aloi Pilioko are two of the South Pacific's best known practicing artists.

From then on, he frenziedly started acquiring Pacific art through his trips to the local islands, including the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji and the Rotuma Islands, Wallis, Austral and the Marquesas Islands. Throughout the years, he succeeded in building a collection of more than six thousand native artefacts such as household utensils, paintings, traditional tools, traditional clothes and weapons, fishing accessories, sculptures, engravings, musical instruments, cult objects, ornaments, architectural features, and a selection of other exquisite objects.

Nicolai Michoutouckine an artist of international repute, a collector and promoter of Pacific arts for many decades passed away 2nd of May 2010. Michoutouchkine was a gregarious and generous person who dedicated much of his waking moments appreciating, collecting and creating art, during his journey he made friends easily and encouraged many across the world to appreciate the arts of the Pacific, both contemporary and traditional.

They have set up a foundation for the preservation of artistic values in the Pacific region. Over the years they have organised numerous workshops for the artists of the Pacific with the sponsorship of the University of the South Pacific.

They have welcomed many international painters, sculptors, and poets in residence at their Port Vila gallery and museum over the years.

Many of their workshops with South Pacific artists in residence resulted in exhibitions which have toured the world.

N. Michoutouchkine – A. Pilioko Foundation is a museum, gallery, cultural or historic site, library, archive and garden.

Tapa Foundation in collaboration with the Museum of Pacific and Oceanic Arts located on Vilandes 16 will be having a reception to celebrate the works of Nicolai Michoutouchkine and his artistic partner Aloi Pilioko on the 5th of October at 18:00.