2014 CPAF Symposium Program

SYMPOSIUMPROGRAM

2 | CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC ARTS FESTIVAL: SYMPOSIUM

Contents

Treasured ObjecTs 3Yvonne Carrillo-Huffman 3

lisa Hilli 3

miCHael Kisombo 4

JD mittman 4

engaging cOmmuniTies 5taloi Havini 5

Dion Peita 5

Keren ruKi 5

lea rumwaroPen 6

tHelma tHomas-lesianawai 6

arTfOrms re/newed 6rutH mCDougall 6

Julia mageau graY 7

rita seumanutafa gale 7

manDY treagus 8

PerfOrmance, resisTance & blOOdlines 8

latai taumoePeau 8

sistanative - seini f. taumoePeau 9

salote tawale 10

angela tiatia 10

graCe vanilau 10


Treasured ObjecTs nelOkOmPne rises again: The re-awakening Of

PainTing barkclOTh in errOmangO, sOuTh VanuaTuYvonne Carrillo-Huffman

This presentation explores the importance of indigenous memory as a vast reservoir of knowledge in spite of a tragic history of Erromango islands, south Vanuatu contact with the outside world. This ongoing encounter over years nearly resulted in the islands dramatic depopulation and cultural fragmentation. It is a story of indigenous determination to revive cultural traditions. A crucial element in this process was the physical reconnection with Erromango cultural objects held in the Australian Museum that were collected a century ago. The presentation will showcase a short film made in Erromango island in 2008 with Chief Jerry Taki Uminduru and Sophie Nemban, both Vanuatu Cultural Centre fieldworkers for south Erromango, personal perspectives with a short introduction of this ongoing project which began in 2002.

disPlaying culTural sensiTiViTieslisa Hilli

The public display of culturally sensitive artefacts pertaining to the Oceanic region by Museums and galleries without thorough community consultation has invoked various discussions and reactions within the industry and Pacific community. What seems to lacking in the public presentation of Pacific cultural artefacts, particularly sensitive or taboo material is a protocol or code of ethics to be adhered to, created in conjunction with a working group or committee of cultural representatives to advise and approve of what can and cannot be displayed, which needs to be implemented not just on a national scale, but a global one.

The roles and responsibilities of Museums and galleries who act and operate as keepers of material culture from the Oceanic region is an area I am wanting to engage, discuss and highlight in an open dialogue through this symposium as well as to enhance my current Masters research; Contextualisation of Oceanic Artefacts held in Museums. I will specifically be examining the positives and negatives of publicly displaying Oceanic objects, virtual and real without thorough community consultation and the impact this has upon the members of the Pacific community (within Australia). If Museums, private collectors, galleries and other cultural institutions are acting on behalf and representing Oceanic people through the presentation of our material culture publicly, then it needs to be done with adherence to our specific cultural protocols, sensitivities and with respect.


re-VisiTing The naTiOnal culTural PrOPerTy (PreserVaTiOn) acTmiCHael Kisombo

Considering Intellectual Property (IP) in the Pacific is contentious given the plurality of people who make up each country. Pacific people acquire knowledge passed down from generation on and live and practice those traditions on a daily basis. Their songs, chants, myths, rituals, dances, feasts and even ceremonies are living testimonies of a living culture. Besides the intangible knowledge base, objects are tangible creations of the many stories they tell about their landscape and milieu. These objects are the manifestations of knowledge, creativity and social relations that are inseparable in the eyes of the Pacific. The knowledge that is embedded in both the tangible and intangible manifestations are mostly communally held and to some extend are sacred and held by a few individuals.

When thinking about developing Intellectual Property to protect that knowledge base, the Pacific Islanders are continuously challenged with questions that include the definition of property, ownership, how do we address multiple relationships between people and things and identifying whose property and for whom can that property be protected, among others. The level of complexity in identifying, registering and protecting IP in the Pacific remains a major debate as to how best can these issues be addressed.

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the National Cultural Property (Preservation) Act (NCP) is one of such legislations designed to protect a particular form of intellectual property. The Act is explicit, in the sense that it defines national cultural property and categorises the cultural objects and is administered by the National Museum and Art Gallery. However, its success, there are many pitfalls that needs consideration when developing Intellectual Property legislations.

awakening cOllecTiOns: The mcleOd gifT cOllecTiOn - a VisiOn fOr The fuTure

JD mittman

In 2001 Dandenong Ranges resident, artist and field collector Neil McLeod donated part of his personal Aboriginal and Pacific art collection to the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

The McLeod Gift Collection, managed by Burrinja Cultural Centre on behalf of Council, is a unique and rare collection of objects from New Britain and Ireland Provinces in Papua New Guinea. Most of the items are ceremonial objects which had been produced in the second half of the 20th century. Until recently, the collection saw little light of day. Fragility of the objects, logistical challenges and lack of contextual information seemed to place these remarkable objects in the too hard basket. With the exhibition Secret Ingiets at Burrinja Gallery last year the collection has been opened up for future presentations and publication. Burrinjas Curator and Manager of Collections JD Mittmann will outline a vision for the collection for the future.


engaging cOmmuniTies acknOwledging The blOOd generaTiOn

taloi Havini

Acknowledging The Blood Generation is a collaboration between artist Taloi Havini and contemporary photographer Stuart Miller.

In this presentation Taloi will speak about her dissatisfaction on the early history of photography on Indigenous peoples, which led her to collaborate on a new bold series of contemporary portraits titled, The Blood Generation.

Featured within each frame are members of a tribe known as the Blood Generation - a term that was used throughout the 1990s to describe all children who were born into war, triggered from external interests in mining and sustained by local acts of resistance. Bougainvilles Indigenous landowners remain disheartened, displaced, and dissatisfied. The land issues remain unresolved and we ask ourselves who is responsible for the Blood Generation?

acTiVaTing Pacific cOllecTiOns in ausTralian museumsDion Peita

The Australian Museum is no stranger to the active participation of community groups, artists, and Pacific researchers from engaging the museum to unravel, inspire and rejuvenate the many narratives that our diverse collections holds. As a way of enhancing contemporary museum practice in the 21st century for Maori and Pacific curators, I will be discussing two recent case studies that have enabled the museum to broaden its understanding of its place in Pacific communities as a meeting place for cultural rejuvenation, retention and celebration and also speak to the challenges on delivering to these. Firstly, our recent work with the Tongan traditions committee to provide much needed support in the preparation and documentation of a significant donation of Tongan material received from the estate of Muriel Snell. Then contrast this encounter to a recent display of collections at Waitangi day celebrations to demonstrate the power of collections to mobilize both community and individual members alike in their cultural pursuit.

weaVing cOmmuniTies, cOllecTiOns and arT TOgeTherKeren ruKi

This paper explores ideas woven in and around working with museum collections, Pacific diaspora and across cultural institutions through the experience of being an artist, researcher, and community facilitator - an outsider within this context, as well as from an


insiders perspective as a Collection Officer with the Australian Museums Pacific collection. It also looks at community engagement experiences from both perspectives of being within, and outside of this context and draws on experiences of working on recent Pacific art projects in and around Sydney.

rize Of The mOrning sTarlea rumwaroPen

Rize of the Morning Star is an Arts Activism campaign that acts as a portal to engage the global community in-solidarity and action for the people of West Papua. Rize has been successful in touring the world, telling their story to audiences at music festival and furthermore engaging a diverse group of artists who have collaborated and donated their time and songs to support the movement including John Butler, Michael Franti, Yothu Yindi and Blue King Brown.

With the core crew living and operating out of Melbourne, they will share their personal stories of the campaign alongside the photographic exhibition in the Gabriel Gallery that has been curated by the Rize crew to give a unique insight into the story of this multi-layered movement and how the campaign has developed since its inception in early 2012.

Pacific yOuTh recOnnecTiOn PrOjecT where are we nOw? tHelma tHomas-lesianawai

The Pacific Youth Reconnection Project offers fresh new ways for Pacifica young people to experience culture through the amazing cultural collections of the Australian Museum. Funded by the Vincent Fairfax Foundation and Australian Museum Foundation, the project aims to reduce the over representation of young people from Pacific communities in the NSW Justice system.

arTfOrms re/newed in and OuT Of Place: Pacific TexTiles in cOnTemPOrary museums

rutH mCDougall

Across the Pacific and its diaspora, woven, knotted, stitched and beaten textiles remain one of the most significant forms of cultural and aesthetic expression. Intimate and sensory, these textiles trigger memories and stimulate associations that allow individuals to connect


with people and events across time and space.

Textiles created throughout the Pacific are also carriers of vast stores of knowledge. Children and young adults learning about materials and techniques gain important information about their local environment. In social groups they receive and share stories, become grounded in their communitys cultural structures and beliefs, and are versed in how to read the genealogical threads found within particular patterns.

This presentation aims to discuss several key questions in relation to the collection and display of Pacific textiles:

When textiles are hung on walls or placed behind glass, what gets lost in our appreciation and understanding of their meaning, function and context?

What can textiles communicate about the Pacific that written texts and other aesthetic objects cannot?

How do we provide ways for visitors to engage with textiles in museum collections while still adhering to the duty of care in relation to their conservation?

How are these collections of textiles perceived by contemporary Pacific Islanders? Can collections be made more accessible for Indigenous as well as Australian communities?

frOm Old TO new OldJulia mageau graY

Ill start my presentation by talking about the dance company Sunameke and how it has led into the Tep Tok project. The basic premise is about womens traditional roles versus contemporary roles and how the tattooing reflects this. I will also look at the difference between Polynesian and Melanesian male and female relationships from our viewpoint, incorporating short film clips to illustrate these points.

TradiTiOnal samOan music in a cOnTemPOrary cOnTexTrita seumanutafa gale

This paper highlights my research on traditional Samoan music in a contemporary context. Previous scholars have defined traditional Samoan music as music that is free from European influence, which in turn has created an exclusion of many genres and types of Samoan music that have been created and performed by the Samoan people in the second half of the twentieth century onwards, from the discourse of this subject. My honours-level research on Samoan music (2013) focused on the analysis and interpretation of a genre called Pese o le Faaulufalega (Songs for a church opening) utilised in the Samoan migrant communities of New Zealand from 1960 to 2000. This study provides the first comprehensive ethnomusicological study of Pese o le Faaulufalega, where a closer inspection of song texts and programme of pese (songs) reveal a link between music and


lauga faasmoa (Samoan oratory), establishing that this genre of Samoan music is indeed traditional Samoan music, despite the contemporary musical instruments used, context of performance and use of modern musical structures. My continued study of Samoan music (2014) will incorporate the same ethnomusicological approach, focusing on modern and traditional music in the Samoan communities of Australia.

resisTance and memOry: The decOlOnising arT Of shigeyuki kiharamanDY treagus

\With an oeuvre encompassing dance, performance, installation, photography, and clothing, Shigeyuki Kihara maintains a consistent emphasis on challenging dominant power relations in her interdisciplinary work. Whether addressing the dominant colonial masculine gaze of nineteenth-century photography in Faafafine; In a Manner of a Woman (2005), or bringing a figure of Victorian mourning to significant historical sites in Samoa in the photographic series Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (2013), Kihara interrogates historic and contemporary power structures while exploring the borders of genre. This paper will examine how the performance and installation piece Culture for Sale engages with specific historic events. It will examine the kinds of questions the work raises, not only about Samoan history, but also about contemporary cultural performances. Does Culture for Sale evoke the power dynamics of colonial contexts in a contemporary setting? Kiharas decolonising critique of nineteenth-century cultural performances engages with aspects of Samoan history and culture from a decolonising Pasifika perspective.

PerfOrmance, resisTance & blOOdlines

sTaging The embOdied archiVe. a culTural cOnTinuum. latai taumoePeau

Where does tradition end and the contemporary start? is part of what I am exploring as an artist who is co- curating and provocateur for the performance season of Stitching Up the Sea at Blacktown Arts Centre in Western Sydney in August 2014.

Stitching Up the Sea is a meditation on the borders between the ephemeral and the permanent. An exploration of culture as a continuum and a questioning of what is valued and preserved in museums and the personal lives of individuals and communities. Over a month period, Blacktown Arts Centre will open its old church doors to diverse Pacific Islander communities to explore, practice, pass down and exchange cultural practices with


a focus on the implicit narratives in gatherings, rites and ritualistic performance.

In my practice and in this role I have many questions around what is performance? Who is the performer, and who is the audience in a Pacific cultural context. What constitutes a cultural performance in a western facility and how do we ascertain its traditional and contemporary components and how is it validated as a cultural performance.

My presentation/performance will be an open-ended public research discussion/challenge of concepts that Im exploring both in my practice and as curator for the Pacific performance program for Stitching Up the Sea.

As a performance maker I like to construct performative conditions to investigate and realise some of my ideas through an activation of my embodied archive. I consider this platform as part of my artistic process and will discuss these provocations to extend contemporary contexts of performance and minimise the continual limitation of how Pacific people perceive their cultural performance possibilities in a contemporary context.

surfing my Pacific waVe - an OraTOry career Of naVigaTing a mana ecOnOmy

sistanative - seini f. taumoePeau

My presentation focuses on contemporary Pacific performance practices.

I have had a career of 20 years of contemporary professional arts practice in Australia. Not yet 40 years of age, I feel like I am a veteran PUNAKE and yet, still coming of age, suspended in a canoe not yet touching the current which will propel me and those of my tribe forwards for the waters seem glacial and sit frozen beneath us, melting slowly where once there was current and movement.

My presentation is about the multi-faceted role-bending pathway of being and becoming as an Artist within the Australian creative industries, media, arts, cultural and edfucation sectors and how these sectors have shaped my living experience as a then-girl now- woman with a purpose, linked to my indigeneity and specific traditional roles which are my birthright.

During my presentation I will enact the workshop format and methodology, which I have devised as a synthesis of all that I have learnt in my 20 years of professional practice. Turning my methodology on myself, I will present my talk as a lament of how I come to Navigate what I call the Mana Economy, and its intersection with the Money economy.

I will assert that what is accepted as my career is where my Mana economy and the Money economy intersect. Navigating through these cross-waters, the trials, the tribulations and the Heros journey of this enterprise and endeavour is what will make up the content of my talk.


dressing uP (Ode TO mOgul)salote tawale

Over the past 10 years my creative practice has explored gender identity and Western cultural values mediated by photography and video. It is through this work and others like it that I have drawn on my Indigenous Fijian and Anglo-Australian heritage to address representations of the coloured body in contemporary Australian art, to challenge and question national narratives and politics of identity.

Dressing up, (Ode to Mogul), was a performance work exploring the artists body as a site of performativity and embodied subjectivity.

This work was made in response to a video ( same title) made by American Artist Susan Mogul in 1973. Where the artist dressed herself whilst telling stories of her shopping escapades. In my work, performed at the Australian Centre for the Moving image as a part of Channels festival in 2013, I dress myself on stage in front of a video camera and screen whilst talking to the camera. My stories reminisce shopping escapades with my mother as I turn myself into a totemic character, a symbol of my own experience.

I propose that the presentation of this work as evidence that the performed self in contemporary challenges identity politics and national identity.

naVigaTing imagesangela tiatia

Angela Tiatia is a multimedia artist and curator whose work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Mexico City, Honolulu and throughout New Zealand and Australia.

Through her practice, Tiatia explores structures and exchanges of power - at an interpersonal, group and international level - and how these interactions affect identity, with particular consideration to their impact on the commercialisation and representation of the Pacific.

le Va O leO The VOcal sPace; acTiVaTing VOicegraCe vanilau

As a vocalist, songwriter and storyteller I have had the privilege and honour of performing to diverse audiences from a young age. I dont ever remember a time when I havent sung. My earliest memories are of singing with my extended family after Sunday toanai (lunch). We would gather around a rickety old piano with missing keys as my grandfather a composer of Samoan hymns and songs, played for hours. My multitude of aunties and cousins would weave in and out of poly harmonies while our papas would awake every so


often through their food induced naps, to lend their voices. I remember thinking this must be the sound of heaven.

I sang my way through life. Using my voice as a means to activate spaces of resistance and hope - vocal activism, self-determination and love informs my creative practice.

Negotiating spaces of power through voice is not a new concept. Le Va O Leo, investigates the power of voice and story telling to connect spaces, people, communities and energies. To heal, stimulate, elevate, ground and engage.

As an artist of Samoan/Oceanic heritage I dont see art as something that is removed from me, it is essential part of my being, my essence its a continuum of thousands of years of knowing and transference of knowledge through my lineage, my bloodlines. This is my heritage. As a Samoan woman who was born and grew up away from my ancestral homeland I have documented my contemporary stories mainly through song and oratory - capturing moments.

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2014 CPAF Symposium Program