British Museum opens 'Reimagining Captain Cook: Pacific Perspectives'

To mark the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s first voyage, the British Museum opened a new exhibition which re-examines the explorer’s relationship with the people of the Pacific. Reimagining Captain Cook: Pacific Perspectives looks at the ways Cook’s explorations are viewed in the places he visited and by descendants of the people he encountered. Objects from the British Museum’s collection associated with Cook’s voyages are displayed alongside contemporary artworks made by artists from the region. Together, these works demonstrate that the impact of his voyages remains complex, contentious and largely unresolved. The exhibition has seven sections which each focus on a place where Cook is remembered: Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii, Vanuatu and Tahiti, as well as Great Britain. Cook’s experience of each place was different and these sections not only explore his encounte