Offering a poignant comment on the existential threat of rising seas, John Gerrard’s large-scale simulation, Flare (Oceania), 2022 forms a seascape based on photographs taken by the activist Uili Lousi, whose work documents the rising temperatures of his ancestral ocean near Tonga.
For Triennial EXTRA, Uili Lousi joins NGV Senior Curator Ewan McEoin for a series of thought-provoking conversations with a diverse line-up of guests, providing an opportunity to extend and amplify the message from Tonga about the climate crisis and the impact on Tongan communities.
Uili Lousi is an internationally recognised artist and climate change activist from the Kingdom of Tonga. Uili Lousi is President of OHAI Tonga, a nongovernmental organization devoted to raising awareness about the impact of climate change for island nations. Uili weaves together an enticing blend of Tongan culture, personal experience, and first-person stories to convey the impacts of climate change in the South Pacific. His is a voice conveying a powerful message that resonates with audiences around the globe.