Repatriate

Repatriate, 2015–22 is a video installation work displayed on five Ipads with an accompanying soundscape.

In this work,Taumoepeau dances in a perspex glass tank wearing a life jacket and flotation devices around her midriff and arms.

Over a period of 60–90 minutes, the tank slowly fills with water. Using the Tongan concept of faiva, Taumoepeau performs an urgent poetic distress call using her body, repurposed props and modest materials. Struggling to maintain the choreography, the artist is eventually submerged.

This powerful work demonstrates the impact of climate change on low-lying Pacific Island nations, specifically the threat of forced dispossession and displacement.

The performance asks the audience to ponder what happens when an environment can no longer support its people: an entire culture will be submerged by the seas.

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