Cross-cultural collaboration

Source: Mel B

I'm back again with another interesting topic of the week: Cross-culture collaboration. Unlike our discussions which normally evolve around the separation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures and perspectives, this week was a more positive outlook. Over the years, many cross-cultural collaborations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people have occurred - this was shown through several examples in the lecture including the mosaic in front of the Parliament house in Canberra, representing Australia prior to the European settlement, as well as integration of Aboriginal art within the architecture of Musee du quai Branly in France. Even the several sights I wrote about in "Tourist for a Day" around Adelaide I think serves for a similar purpose. As part of reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, these works of art represent an important symbol of how the contemporary society has moved on since the times of colonisation and also as a sign acknowledging Aboriginal art and that Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of the land. It shows a coming together of two cultures, embracing each other and especially giving back the recognition and respect to Aboriginal people what was once stripped away from them - these works each represent a positive step in coming closer to a society and world that upholds equality and celebrates its diverse and unique cultures.






Nevertheless, as we would suspect, amidst the positivity that surrounds cross-cultural collaboration, controversial issues do exists. The drawing of a Wandjina sculpture made by a non-Aboriginal artist at Katoomba, although it may show a sense of fascination of the Aboriginal culture was in fact a breach of tradition in Aboriginal culture where only a selected few are allowed to depict the powerful ancestor. This case clearly shows the limitations and the importance of understanding the cultures involved. When embracing the Aboriginal culture or any other cultures, it is not be enough to just do so at one's own will or viewpoint but we must naturally take into account the culture involved and gain an understanding of their values and traditions. By failing to do research, we are only being ignorant and insensitive. Our results intentions may not play out as we hope to and we may in end up disrespecting the culture.


In parallel with the question of the week which asks how Australia can overcome the quandary and embrace its Indigenous culture by reflecting this in public art and architecture? I believe the answer lies  in Brenda Croft's article about the Indigenous Collaboration with the Musee du quai Branly as being the "benchmark for cross-cultural collaboration". (1) To embrace the Indigenous culture in this way, I think can only be done by having an honest, open and sincere relationship and collaboration with the Idnigenous community. Such collaboration should involve the permission and involvement of Indigenous people so that the end result may be a tribute to both cultures. Similar to how in design, we are always told to do our research before creating our ideas and our work, especially those involving other people, we need to be sensitive to other perspectives and see if there are any issues involved that might hurt or offend anyone. Reminding me of a poster I had to make in second year about homelessness, there was an extensive amount of research that I had to do which had to take into account both the perception of the targeted audience but also the people who were homeless. The challenge was for me was finding a way in which I was able to create a poster that would effectively engage the audience while not offending those who were homeless. Ultimately,  because we are creating a work to be put out in the public and  not merely designing or making art works for ourselves,  when creating such works, if we are to create a positive message, it should do so in a way that considers the direct audience and those involved.

Judy Watson, museum piece, 2006, Musee du Quai Branly.

 Source: Aboriginal Art & Culture: an American eye

 John Mawurndjul, museum piece, 2006, Musee du quai Branley. 

Source: The Colour Comission

Just when we would like to think that collaboration such as Musee du quai Branly is an excellent example of cross-cultural collaboration, however, many others have very different perspectives about it. While Brenda Croft believes that "the conservative Eurocentricity of the twentieth century and its entagnlemnet with primtivism has been consigned to history by the cross cultural collaboration," (2) Will Owen from Aboriginal, Art & Culture: An American Eye blog provides a very different and interesting perspective through his own research:

The boost given to the international profile of Aboriginal art was undeniable, although there were concerns that the museum's focus on France's colonial ethnographic acquisitions reduced the works of the modern masters to a genre of the primitive. At the other end of the critical spectrum, Sally Butler of the Unviesity of Queensland complained that architect Jean Nouvel's vision treated them as "an interiror-design aesthethic rather than works of art" (3)

Having attended the exhibition himself, Will Owen gives a very comprehensive account of his experience where he repeatedly described the inaccessibility or invisibility of the works involved in the commission and how they often seem to serve as a second feature to the museum (4). He recalls that the focus was often more on the "the presidential hubris or the perceived attempts by France to recast its colonial and imperial explorations as an example of unviersal respect and good will toward all men [instead of] Austalia's role"(5). Nevertheless, while many critiqued the true motives of the commission, I do believe, as Will Owen also concludes himself, that the Australian Indigenous Commission in the Musee du quai Branley should not only be seen in its negativity. Even though it is good that we continuously look at these kinds of events with a critical eye, we cannot ignore the genuine attempt of the commission either. 

The artisans worked with a precise drawing in hand, and counted dots of each color, applying them with large, rubbery pads attached to long poles. We heard later that there was a moment of contention during the execution of Mawurndjul's ceiling work, as in the original there is a small area where the rarrk does not completely reach the edge of one of the large circles. In the original painting, this isn't noticeable unless you're looking with a magnifying glass, but the process of transcription to the large ceiling format acting as just such a glass and made the moment very noticeable. The artisans claimed that they were reproducing the work precisely and had to be convinced to make the slight alteration required to extend the cross-hatching all the way to the edge of the circle. (6)

Ningura Napurrula, museum piece, 2006, Musee du quai Branly

Source: Aboriginal Art & Culture: an American eye

History can never be erased and thus the challenge of displaying artworks linked to colonialism in this post-colonial world will certainly never be an easy one. However, instead of focusing on the negativity, we should also open our eyes to the future and move forward - and we cannot do so by always looking back. Seeing the photos of the commission on the Internet, I do believe that the end result is spectacular despite the negative critics and as it sets a bench mark for future cross-cultural collaboration - may it continuously push forward the society to further improve and find better solutions to the challenges faced. 

References:

(1) Brenda Croft and Hetti Perkins, Australian Indigenous Art Commission = Commande Publique d'Art Aborigine: Musee du qaui Branly (Paddington, N.S.W.: Art & Australia, 2006), 20.

(2) Ibid., 20. 

(3) Will Owen, January 15, 2011, "Re-examining quai Branly,"Aboriginal, Art & Culture: An American Eye, http://aboriginalartandculture.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/re-examining-quai-branly.

(4) Ibid.

(5) Ibid. 

(6) Will Owen, June 28, 2006 (10:48 a.m), ""Inside" the Australian Indigenous Art Commission," Aboriginal, Art & Culture: An American Eye, http://homepage.mac.com/will_owen/iblog/C1403073609/E20060627234912/index.html.