The Ninth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

55 ARTISTS Clockwise from top left: Creating patterns for the Erub/Lifou Project in Bethanie, Lifou, New Caledonia / Lorna McEwan-Lui draws yam vines and leaves / Photographs: Lynnette Griffiths / Erub/Lifou Project artists with an early drawing for 'Sea Journey: People without Borders' 2018 / Photograph: Erub Arts Established 2011 Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia Erub, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia The Erub/Lifou Project is a collaboration between QAGOMA, Erub Arts, Darnley Island, and the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia Artistic Director: Lynnette Griffiths / Coordination Team Manager: Diann Lui / Lead artist: Jimmy K Thaiday / Community consultation/ artists: Lorna McEwan-Lui and Joshua Thaiday Erub artists: Ethel Charlie, Solomon Charlie, Rachael Emma Gela, Florence Gutchen, Nancy Naawi, Robert Oui, Racy Oui-Pitt, Ellarose Savage, Jimmy J Thaiday Lifou artists: Katia Cimutru, Olivier Delachaux, Emile Iwan, Bisso Iwane, Robert Jene, Humune Jiane, Louise Jone, Pastor Var Kaemo, Harela Kaloie, Peter Kaudre, Motaie Kaudre, Simei Midraia, Hala Ngazonie, Jymmy Ngoizoni, Atre Pawawi, Kegen Uedre, Edouaid Wamalo, Kevin Xowie In 1871, English and Kanak missionaries sailed from Lifou Island, in New Caledonia, to Erub (Darnley Island), in the Torres Strait, to introduce Christianity. Many stayed and were lost to their respective families. It was not until 2011 that their descendants met on Erub to explore their common heritage, at which point, lifetimes of shared names, physical features and stories of places and journeys came sharply into focus for both peoples. The Erub/Lifou Project for APT9 has further cemented these bonds. Masters in charcoal drawing, the Torres Strait artists introduced the medium to Lifou in 2013, when Erub artists and community members travelled there for a joint art project. 1 To create a new work together, the artists lay on three long lengths of paper and traced each other’s outlines in charcoal in an act of intimacy and trust. Over a number of days, they then marked the papers with their visual responses to the shared histories that have shaped their lives. Despite challenges, exciting concepts emerged. The papers, with their ground of velvety charcoal images, were then returned to Erub Arts to be further developed for exhibition as 'Sea Journeys: People without Borders' in APT9. As Racy Oui-Pitt, whose great-grandfather in 1871 was the cabin boy on the first missionary boat the Surprise , commented: We are all connected, we made songs and stories, and now we make art . . . we are all under that one roof. We are all Melanesian people, living across the ocean, but Christianity has brought us together, and with today’s technology and our knowledge, we are finding one another again. 2 The spiritual links between people, and their connection with the land and the sea, underpin the Erub/Lifou experience. Another important element is the annual religious celebration 'Coming of the Light', which commemorates the introduction of Christianity to the Torres Strait, a concept that embraces both the pre-Christian past and the melding of Christian and customary beliefs in contemporary island life. Central narratives and images emerged as the artists reflected on their personal understandings. In one of the drawings, an image of people sailing away in a European boat, high on a wave, relates to the original sea journey of 1871. The wave, another strong presence, refers to washing away traditional life to introduce the new way of living; charcoal figures float within a wave, forming connections with the future, and a woven mat, drawn as an integral part of a wave, symbolises a place to gather to share songs and stories. Other images evoke daily life and highlight the spreading of the Christian faith. The ubiquitous coconut (a Kanake female symbol indicating the source of new life) is central to the lives of people from Erub and Lifou, and the leaf refers to peoples’ connections and the foods they both enjoy. The coconut also brings to mind missionaries floating across the sea like coconuts to find distant lands and people to hear their message. In another image, the yam, in its habit of spiralling and binding objects together as it grows, symbolises people coming together. Its presence is a reminder that it takes hard work and attention to the spirit for individuals and communities to grow and thrive. Today, people travel between Erub and Lifou by plane; however, the saltwater connection persists and these powerful drawings are testament to the ties that will always bring them together. 3 Diane Moon and Lynnette Griffiths Endnotes 1 In early 2018, three artists — Racy Oui-Pitt and Joshua Thaiday, led by Jimmy Thaiday — and a support group, including Lifou descendant Lorna McEwan-Lui, Erub Arts Manager Diann Lui and Artistic Director Lynnette Griffiths, returned to Lifou for further research and to create the Erub/Lifou Project. 2 Lynnette Griffiths, Sea Journeys: People without Borders 2018 [project report], APT9 artist file, QAGOMA Research Library. 3 The Erub/Lifou Project will also be exhibited at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Noumea in 2019, enabling both groups to experience the completed installation. ERUB/LIFOU PROJECT