Re-positioning performance: curating Tahitian performance as applied ethnomusicology in Hawaiʻi

Abstract

This study examines a specific but multi-faceted applied ethnomusicology project, a gallery exhibition and related special events focusing on Tahitian performance on O'ahu, Hawaiʻi. The exhibit, Tau Rima Tahiti: Crafting Performance, resulted from collaboration with performers, craftspeople, and cultural specialists on O'ahu, furthering research into this diasporic tradition by focusing upon the performance of craftsmanship as a precursor to 'ori tahiti. Drawing heavily from the field of museum studies, I examine the process (performance) of that exhibit's production, including the critical issues involved with such a project, and a reflexive examination of my role as curator. The study shares my methods of research and presentation, and assesses the resulting exhibit as a representation of individuals, traditions, and performances.