1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

5 a faculty of the university only two or three years ago. So in terms of developing a School of Art, the contemporary art is quite recent. The support for art is continuous throughout Papua New Guinea throughout the year. We have about 7 festivals, 7 different festivals each year in different regions. The Port Moresby Show, The Goroka Show, Mt Hagen Show, Medang, Weewak, Rabaul and New Island - each emphasising their own particular aspect and on Independence Day schools also take part in art. So the main aspect of art in terms of human decoration, headdresses and so on are given emphasis. If we can now then look at 11 slides which show the contemporary art we will conclude. The first one is by Tabau(?) Silow and it’s about a hunter learning the laws of hunting - this use of modem instruments. The next one I don’t know if you can see it, it should be about a beggar. Now even though Papua New Guinea has some of the greatest oil reserves, greater than Kuwait, gold and copper, but we still have beggars in the city and you can see a man going out to grab what he can from the rubbish bin to live on. So it’s a social comment on life as we have it now. Next one please is about - two ladies fighting over a man, that’s a common event up there. The next one is about a Sing Sing. Sing Sing is a dance and you can see that man decorating himself for a Sing Sing, then the other people also participating in it. The next one is from Kauge, Mary Billas, a woman in a modem day dress showing off her dress. The next one from artist ?????????. There’s a bug there and it’s eating our people’s food. Next one is about a couple building a church. It’s from ?????. The next four are in the Art Gallery which you can see, Mr Okuk, The Deputy Prime Minister he died and the helicopter is taking him to be buried. There’s another woman politician over there and some dignitaries are in the helicopter. Next one is about an aeroplane, we call it a balus, good word to learn. An aeroplane taking people some place. The next one from Nalo, Nalo is here. The beauty and the dangers of the jellyfish, it’s on display and you go CASUAIAARTGALL.TP1 24 May 1994