MUSEUM news
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A Bit na Ta
VICTORIA—Through February 4, 2018, the Melbourne
Museum is presenting a Bit na Ta (The
Source of the Sea), a multimedia show featuring
photographs, videos, and objects relating to the Tolai
people of Blanche Bay in Papua New Guinea. The
exhibition emphasizes this people’s capacity for resilience,
since over the course of the century between
1875 and 1975, they endured colonization, war, volcanic
eruptions, and the struggle for independence.
It also explores their spiritual practices, especially the
role of the Tubuan secret society, which continues to
be a vital part of Tolai everyday life, particularly with
regard to their relationship with the environment,
resources, and the members of the community. The
event is the fruit of a longstanding collaboration between
Tolai singer George Mamua Telek and musician
composer David Bridie, and together they have
created a highly symbolic audiovisual installation that
blends images, music, sound, and stories. The exhibition
also features works by contemporary Tolai artist
Lisa Hilli.
Ancestors and Rituals
BRUSSELS—Europalia Arts Festival: Indonesia opened
in mid November with an exhibition that will be on
view until January 11, 2018, in the art deco Palais des
Beaux-Arts designed by architect Victor Horta. The
biennial European festival honors Indonesia this year,
with the goal of exploring new perspectives and perceptions
of “the other” and oneself through the arts.
This challenge is addressed in the exhibition titled Ancestors
and Rituals, which is devoted to the multiplicity
of Indonesia’s regional ancestor cults.
The fi fth-largest nation in the world, Indonesia
boasts a wealth of cultures. It has 255 million inhabitants,
300 ethnic groups, and more than 700 languages.
One common point unites these cultures: the vitally
important role played by the ancestors. Beginning
with the arrival of the Austronesians some 4,000 years
ago and moving along through the Dongson culture
period (which introduced bronze-working techniques
about 2,500 years ago), Ancestors and Rituals explores
the origins of this cult.
The exhibition then focuses on three functions
served by the ancestors as they relate to the past,
present, and future. The fi rst is to act as a direct link
between Indonesians and their past, allowing the living
to identify their place in a lineage and a social position.
This function is the subject of the “Status” sec-
BELOW: Ancestor fi gures,
ana deo. Ngada, Flores,
eastern Nusa Tenggara.
Before 1938.
Wood, beads. H: 73 and 70 cm.
National Museum of Indonesia,
inv. 23030a and b.
Photo: Arkadius, 2016.
ABOVE: Figural sculpture, lilit tomi.
Atoni, Timor, eastern Nusa Tenggara.
Before 1931.
Stone. H: 42 cm.
National Museum of Indonesia, inv. 19321.
Photo: Arkadius, 2016.
RIGHT: Effi gy, si gale-gale.
Toba-Batak, northern Sumatra.
Early 19th century.
Wood, bamboo. H: 184 cm.
National Museum of Indonesia,
inv. 2325a-d. Photo: Arkadius, 2016.
ABOVE: Portrait of a Tolai
man.
David Bridie, Rabaul, Papua New
Guinea, 2016.
tion of the installation. The second
function is the ancestors’ role as
the guarantors of balance in society
and ensuring harmony in the
present. Various amulets, tattoo
designs, and wooden sculptures
placed at the entrances to houses
illustrate this in the “Protection”
section of the exhibition. Lastly,
the third role is the assurance of
the continuity and permanence of
society, which is addressed in the
“Fertility” section of the show.
The next part of the exhibition is an examination
of the religious, cultural, and commercial exchanges
that have infl uenced the art, identity, and vision of the
Indonesian people over the course of time. It also explores
the ways in which communication with the ancestors
is accomplished. During the course of various
rituals, shamans, spirits, puppets, or masked fi gures
serve as intermediaries. Among the Batak of Northern
Sumatra, for instance, priests use specially charged
staffs in their rituals that can affect weather, politics,
war, and illness.
The fi nal section of the show is devoted to contemporary
perceptions of relations with the ancestors.
What place do they have in modern society? How are
they celebrated? All in all, the exhibition presents 160
archaeological and ethnographic treasures, all imbued
with poetry and symbols. Most of them are outside
the borders of Indonesia for the fi rst time and are on
loan from the National Museum of
Jakarta. If you are in Brussels, this
show is a must-see event.