The Seventh Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Papua New Guinean masks and performance have a long history of development and change. In the jungle punctuated with rugged and steep mountains where the majority of Papua New Guineans live, masks were used for ritual performances and warfare. Across fast-flowing rivers and into the wetlands, these masks played a pivotal role in initiations, rituals, healing, marriage and mortuary ceremonies. Masks and their associated performances were integrated into practising societies’ social, economic, political and religious spheres. Those men who created and wore masks were believed to be conduits for the continued presence of primordial beings, mythical ancestors and cultural heroes. They were considered special and treated with dignity and sincerity. Certain fees were imposed for the preparation of the masks and for performances, and in some areas such as the Bismarck Archipelago 1 , Tumbuans 2 would be sponsored by persons with special status and political position to perform. Virtually unknown to the outside world, these astonishing societies ceased to be so isolated from the early eighteenth century onwards. With the arrival of Christianity and other cultures, many of their traditions were dramatically transformed, including those associated with masks and performances. While there was a strong impetus for change, certain mask-performing societies remained steadfast. In these places, masks and performances took on new forms and shapes but their underlying values and meaning were maintained. A layer of tradition drives some communities to uphold their extraordinary culture, as with those along the Sepik River and in the Bismarck Archipelago 3 . The Middle Sepik River Iatmul-speaking people inhabit the wetlands of the Sepik plain, in villages stretching from upper Pagwi down to Tambanum and on towards Angoram 4 . They maintain a rich and vibrant culture centred on their spirit houses ( haus tambaran ) and make a living through the sale of their art works. Among the villagers are some world-renowned carvers who have travelled overseas to share their cultural richness. 5 Masks from these villages have taken on new forms with the application of synthetically derived colour and plastics for costumes and headdresses. What is intriguing is that the stories relating to these masks remain uninterrupted. These are stories inextricably tied to Iatmul mythology and religion. During travel to this area in April 2012, welcome performances were organised for our team from the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery 6 . As we entered the village square in Palembei, two men — concealed with the famous mai mask and grass-leaf skirts — approached us, dancing to the rhythm of the slit drums and flutes that sounded from their haus tambaran 7 . Alongside the village square, women, children and the uninitiated lined up side-by-side to see the performances, masks and new visitors. On entering the haus tambaran , we encountered almost every man from the village who sat according to their moiety (‘fire place’), with their bare backs, arms and chests exposing crocodile ‘bites’. Four slit drums and pisin (bamboo flutes), above the house, played, producing a spectacular sound to evoke the haus tambaran ’s special ancestors. Time had been taken preparing for our visit — the performance was more than simply a gesture. We sensed the presence of the evoked spirits and were taken back in time by stories and memories from long ago. After the ceremonial killing of two chickens, blood was smeared on the pisin before they were stored away and betel nut distributed among the initiates. The hidden meaning behind this ceremony is only known by the initiates. Next we visited Yenchen, a five-minute boat ride across the mighty Sepik River. Wearing crocodile masks made from palm spathes and rattan, and led by a small group of women and children, a dance troupe welcomed us. The performance was similar to that observed in Palembei; however, in Yenchen, when such displays are presented for tourists and other visitors, they often involve a fee to assist with the upkeep of this tradition. Though this event was not as charged, they followed the ceremonial custom of smearing chicken blood on the instruments and sharing the betel nut among the men in the haus tambaran . Akin to the Iatmul kastom , mask production and performance in the Bismarck Archipelago continues, albeit stirring much more fear, exhilaration and intrigue. This is true for anyone who attends the famous Alex Gabour and Coastal Arapesh people, Dagua, East Sepik / Ule and Neo ( Male and female fish ) ( Mask ) (detail) and Sar (Headdress) (detail) 2011 in performance at the National Mask Festival, Kokopo, East New Britain, July 2011 / Purchased 2011. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery / Photograph: Michael O’Sullivan PAPUA NEW GUINEAN MASKS AND PERFORMANCE: THE INNER LAYERS MICHAEL KISOMBO 226