The Fourth Hawai'i Triennial, titled "Aloha Nō," showcased art from various Indigenous and archipelagic cultures across fourteen venues in Oahu. Curated by Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Binna Choi, and Noelle M. K. Y. Kahanu, the event highlighted the unique cultural intersections of Hawaii while avoiding patronizing regional stereotypes. The exhibition presented Hawaii's complicated colonial history alongside its rich Indigenous heritage, inviting viewers to appreciate the local environment and cultural stewardship through a decolonial lens, focusing on small gestures of connection and care in artistry.
The triennial, titled "Aloha Nō," posited an island-centric view of the world, casting a net outward from Hawaii to include diverse archipelagic and Indigenous cultures.
Hawaii is as complicated and rich a site as can be imagined—the state flag displays a Union Jack...representing the worst of nineteenth-century imperialist-corpo-colonial expansionism.
The entire triennial seemed to argue for a nuanced approach to the other-decolonialism as a goal achieved by way of small cumulative gestures, moments of genuine care.
Curators Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Binna Choi, and Noelle M. K. Y. Kahanu approached with a blessedly light touch that mostly eschewed didacticism and looked toward the conciliatory.
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