Canadian Museum of Civilization exhibition an unprecedented success in MoscowHull, Quebec, July 14, 1998 — LOST VISIONS, FORGOTTEN DREAMS: Life and Art of an Ancient Arctic People has attracted crowds of visitors to the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow since the exhibition, from the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC), opened on June 25, 1998.
Vera Alexander, Third Secretary and Vice-Consul at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow, has reported that the CMC exhibition has become one of the major cultural events of the season. "It has been attracting throngs of people and made quite a splash with numerous enthusiastic reports on Russian television, radio and in newspapers," said Alexander. The State Museum's Deputy Director, Tatiana Metaxa, has reportedly told the Embassy that this is the first time an exhibition has received such tremendous attention and response.
LOST VISIONS, FORGOTTEN DREAMS: Life and Art of an Ancient Arctic People explores the history, culture and art of the people archaeologists call Palaeo-Eskimos and reveals some of the prehistoric links between Northeastern Siberia and the Canadian arctic. The exhibition consists of more than 600 artifacts dating from 2000 B.C. to 1200 A.D. These figurines, icons, amulets and tools from the Canadian Museum of Civilization, comprise one of the great prehistoric art collections of the world and provide a fascinating insight into an ancient religion and world view. All of the artifacts were excavated in the Canadian Arctic, many of them by CMC archaeologists and co-curators of the exhibition, Patricia Sutherland and Robert McGhee.
This is the first time the collection has been exhibited in Russia, the land where the Paleo-Eskimos originally developed their distinctive way of life. About 5,000 years ago, they migrated from Siberia into Arctic North America and developed the techniques that first allowed humans to live successfully in the coldest and bleakest portion of the habitable world. Surprisingly, they also produced a unique legacy of carving that reflects their shamanistic religion and a belief in the power of magic.
Lost Visions, Forgotten Dreams premièred at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in November 1996. In the spring of 1998 it began a European tour at the National Museum of Denmark, in Copenhagen. Moscow's State Museum of Oriental Art is the second international venue for the exhibition, where it will be on display until August 17, 1998. It will then go to the Ubersee Museum in Bremen, Germany, from November 29, 1998 to March 21, 1999. Further dates in Europe, Asia and North America are yet to be announced.
The Moscow exhibition has been made possible by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, and the Richard and Jean Ivey Foundation. The exhibition was opened in Moscow by the Honourable Jane Stewart, Canadian Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, the Minister of Culture of Russia, Natalia Dementieva, and the Director-General of Research and Collections for The Canadian Museum of Civilization, Dr. Stephen Inglis.
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