250 years ago James Cook left England on the first of three expeditions to the Pacific Ocean. A skilful navigator, he visited many places new to Europeans and his voyage accounts were widely read and celebrated. Today, his legacy is sometimes debated. In the Pacific, Islanders continue to remember the encounters that occurred, reimagining them in artworks which reflect on their impact.

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As commemorations abound on this major anniversary, this exhibition considers some of the complexities of Cook’s legacy in the Pacific, from New Zealand to Vanuatu and from Australia to the islands of Hawaii.