Kiribati National Museum and Cultural Centre
The Kiribati National Museum and Cultural Centre is a public institution established in 1973. The museum is located in Bikenibeu on the atoll of Tarawa in Kiribati. It displays artefacts, art collections and other items of cultural and historic significance.
The Kiribati National Museum and Cultural Centre was created for the new nation’s independence. A 1971 UNESCO meeting on Oceanic Cultures in Suva motivated people to create a cultural centre and in 1973 the Tungavalu Society, based in Tarawa, was established, bringing together islanders. More recently, the museum has started celebrating International Museum Day and exhibits contemporary art from local Kiribati artists. Tekautu Ioane took over as Senior Cultural Officer in 2006. Tekautu Ioane was followed by Pelea Tehumu, who has been Senior Cultural Officer since 2014. Since 2017, the Kiribati National Museum and Cultural Centre is also present at the Kiribati Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in Italy.