Karakeni Nani | Asia Pacific Triennial Exhibition (APT10)
A COLLABORATION WITH QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY | GALLERY OF MODERN ART FOR THE 10TH ASIA PACIFIC TRIENNIAL
Karakeni Nani comes from the ‘Nasioi’ language spoken throughout the southeast coastal region of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea: Kieta.
‘Kara’ to talk, and ‘Keni’ binding a person, animal or thing(s) of value with rope. ‘Nani’ describes the functional role of feminine speakers and their perspectives.
Functioning as our project title: Karakeni Nani illustrates an agreed meeting place where matrilineal leaders drive high-level conversations; to fasten, unify or hold together people, places or things of value toward a shared vision or goal with the binding activity of listening and talking with the community.
The Pasifika Women’s Alliance will be engaging with the themes of intergenerational learning, language and storytelling and how these three themes apply to the artworks being displayed in APT10, but also how they can create a space for families to engage with these themes. This involves a three-phase project which deeply involves families in APT10 exhibitions, but more specifically with artworks that hold relevance and meaning to their own histories and stories. These families would then visit APT10 and have an in-depth discussion with relevant cultural connectors and curators about an artwork and APT10 projects that hold meaning to them. Families would then be asked to reflect on the learning they received in these in-depth discussions within their homes, and share these reflections with other families involved in this project. At this reflection space families would also bring an item or story that has relevance to the artwork and project they engaged with, to enhance further storytelling in the ways that art is relevant to Pacific Islander histories, ways of living, being and belonging.
Creative Pasifika
A COLLABORATION WITH PASIFIKA YOUNG PEOPLE’S WELLBEING NETWORK, BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL & VISIBLE INK YOUTH HUB
Hosted by Pasifika Young People’s Wellbeing Network (PYPWN), Creative Pasifika is an Arts & Wellbeing Workshop for young Pasifika people aged 14 – 25yrs. The aim of Creative Pasifika is to provide a safe space for participants to creatively express themselves and promote a sense of well-being.
In 2021, Creative Pasifika took place over two days. The first day included an exclusive tour at Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) where participants had the opportunity to get the first glimpse of the upcoming 10th Asia Pacific Triennial Exhibition and draw inspiration from the artwork!
The second day included time spent at Brisbane City Council‘s Visible Ink Youth Hub to work on a project with Pacific Islander creative professionals in photography, music recording, visual art and dance. PWA was proud to support this project and looks forward to being a part of Creative Pasifika again in the future!
Pacific Fashion Festival
The Pacific Fashion Festival (#PFFBNE), is an annual cultural spectacle of art exchanged through fashion created for the empowerment of women and the enhancement of Pacific small to large sized businesses. PFF is created through mass collaboration of community engagement through the inclusion of young people of the Brisbane locality from different cultural backgrounds all over the Pacific and beyond who share their talents in modelling, entertainment, performance, music, dance and all forms of creative expression. The evolution of technology has allowed the platform to gain not only local participation but attract international fashion designers from different Pacific Islands to unite on the common cause for empowering Indigenous Pacific people from Australasia, Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
“PFF is a must every year to support our PACIFIC FASHION businesses, local talent & create opportunities for our women and youth”
In addition, the unity of our Pacific communities highlights the importance of cultural preservation in an exchange of fashion as well as history and storytelling and re-educating the community about family values in our advocacy against family and domestic violence, which is one of the silent killers of true development amongst our people. Economic empowerment is not possible or achievable without a partnership of peaceful families and communities.
PFF prides itself as being a very successful self-sustainable organisation which also donates to community actions that respond to issues affecting women. PFF also uses its platform to create mass awareness for the issues of domestic and family violence that plague Pacific progress.
Visit – www.pacificfashion.com.au
Contact – pacificfashionfestival@gmail.com | 0424235846
Fish Hooks & Moving Trees Art Exhibition Launch
In November of 2015, the Fish Hooks & Moving Trees Art Exhibition Pacific Transformations in Australia, a Queensland traveling exhibition that showcases Pacific contemporary art, artefacts and community cultural heritage from Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia was launched at the Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre (BEMAC), Kangaroo Point by curator Joan Winter.
The exhibition spanned objects from the 1870s right through to the present; both public and private collections, contemporary artists and community craftswomen as well as men from the Maori and Pacific Islander community.
For more information please visit the BEMAC website via the link: Fish Hooks & Moving Trees