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The Tjibaou cultural center, at the heart of the Kanak cultural heritage
The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center invites you to discover the charms and subtleties of Kanak cultural heritage, as rich as it is diverse.
An establishment anchored in the heart of New Caledonia
Built on the Tina peninsula, the Cultural Center owes its name to the pro-independence leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, signatory of the Matignon Accords in 1988 and assassinated in Ouvéa in 1989. One of the Center's huts is dedicated to the life of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, whose statue is enthroned on a hilltop on the site. The silhouettes of the Tjibaou Cultural Center's huts, inspired by traditional Kanak architecture, are now an integral part of the landscape of the city of Nouméa and fully participate in its identity.
The designer of the project is none other than the architect Renzo Piano, to whom we owe, among other famous buildings, the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris or the Kansai airport in Japan. What strikes the visitor visiting the Tjibaou Cultural Center for the first time is the place given to vegetation, literally omnipresent. The idea is to highlight the symbolism of the plant world in the Kanak universe.
At the origins of Kanak culture
The center's ambition is the development of Kanak culture and its dissemination by sharing with visitors what it represents for the Kanak people and its evolution over time. One discovers the importance that it has in the culture of the island and the attachment that the Caledonians have to its diffusion. We discover how they continue to bring it to life through their works and cultural creations.
Caledonian living art
The Tjibaou Cultural Center is home to permanent exhibitions, such as "Homage to the dispersed Kanak heritage" in the Bwenando hut, where pieces from the Quai Branly Museum are on display. Throughout the year, the Center also hosts temporary exhibitions. The Ko Névâ exhibition thus presents each year the works of local talents.
Attend the show of the Kanak way
Behind the huts, is the "Kanak path" which traces through the presence of many plants, the history of the founding hero and first Kanak man, Téâ Kanaké. Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, shows are organized on the path, featuring Kanak customs.
Outdoor culture
Concerts and cultural events are regularly scheduled, such as the Waan Danse festival, or more recently, the Francofolies.
The Women's Market
One Sunday morning a month, the Tjibaou Cultural Center hosts the rural women's market. Women from neighboring tribes come to sell the products of their crops. This is the opportunity to come and fill up on fruits and vegetables directly from the producers.
Links and useful information about the Tjibaou center
Tjibaou Cultural Center
Rue des accords de Matignon, Tina
B.P. 378 98845 Nouméa Cedex
Phone : 41 45 45
