The Seventh Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

collaboration with members of the Teki (dog), Humikwa (bird of paradise) and Guisemb (sea eagle) clans is seen as an expression of the Wanyi elders’ political prowess in initiating beneficial relations with other groups. 5 Thinking about these ephemeral Sepik structures, then, we can see that the building does not require longevity. What is valued and preserved are the ancestors’ presence and cultural knowledge, as well as the relationship structures that flow from them. The practice of making and decorating these buildings, which we call art, engages new generations in this process, and the acquisition of knowledge and the status associated with this. It also strengthens interdependent relations with others (human and ancestral) as well as with the local environment. As with the act of remembering, which never recurs in exactly the same way, the form which knowledge takes may also change. Different subjectivities and the historical pressure of certain events or outside influences all impact on how individuals or communities receive, understand and use knowledge. In the Sepik and New Britain, the impact of colonisation, the introduction of Christianity and, more recently, increased tourism, all impact on the ways in which cultural knowledge is received and used. Today, there is a strong desire to develop relationships outside close-knit village circles in order to engage with the opportunities that tourism provides for articulating distinctive cultural attributes and developing a cash economy. One outcome within Kwoma communities has been the exploration of figurative designs. Another, more widespread, change has been the adoption of new materials capable of creating even more visually powerful effects. These changes are evident in the works created for APT7, where we see innovative figurative designs in the Kwoma ceiling utilising commercially available paints and supports. The spectacular masks created by Sulka, Tolai, Baining, Arawe and Coastal Arapesh groups also explore the potential of combining locally sourced natural materials such as feathers, split cane and leaves, with commercially available pigments and objects. Like the Kwoma and Abelam spirit houses, many of the masks featured are ephemeral, either because their organic materials have only a short life span or they are purposefully used on only one occasion. Directly associated with powerful spirit beings or forces, the masks created by the Baining and Sulka, when used in performance, evoke the potency of these beings and, in their makers’ opinion, must be destroyed after they have served their ritual purpose, for the safety of the community. Colours and materials are carefully chosen according to their transformative impact. In this context, the lurid, shimmering brightness of synthetic red paints and contemporary materials associated with wealth, transformation, or power, are as readily adopted as traditional materials and colours linked with the power to animate the works’ overall designs. Other masks are created for use in mortuary ceremonies or initiation rites, and often have attributes referring to particular individuals or ancestors (both human and non-human), including in one group of Tolai tokatokoi , the saintly form of the Christian Virgin. The artists responsible for creating these works are predominantly male and have been through an initiation process that equips them to engage with ancestral forces and spirit beings. For example, the Iatmul artists from Yenchen in the Middle Sepik, all have ‘bites’ cut into their skin — like those one would receive from the ancestral Mavetgowi (saltwater crocodile) or Palengowi (freshwater crocodile) — indicating their having been ‘eaten’ by spirit crocodiles, symbolising the transition from childhood KWOMA ARTS Collaborative group Est. 2012 Papua New Guinea Kwoma people, Tongwinjamb Koromb ( Spirit house ) (detail of bi ) 2012 Synthetic polymer paint, plywood, blackbutt, steel / Installed dimensions variable / Commissioned for APT7 and the Queensland Art Gallery Collection / Purchased 2012. Queensland Art Gallery / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery 224