A new multimedia exhibition inspired by communities in Papua New Guinea will come to the Australian Museum on June 9.
The exhibition, Bilas, celebrates the rich, cultural heritage of the communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and their unique connection to their homelands by exploring the transformation of the human body as an art form.
Bilas features rare, never before displayed cultural objects from the Australian Museum's Pacific collection including photography by photographer Wylda Bayron and natural history specimens.
The exhibition will also include 33 pieces of newly acquired body adornment from three cultural groups: Koki in the Laiagam District Enga Province, Yalu the Kagua District in the Southern Highlands Province, and Meingik in Koinambe, Jimi District in the Jiwaka Province.
The word Bilas translates to body adornment in Tok Pisin.
Co-curator of the exhibition and member of the Kilipika Village, Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, Michael Mel said the body in PNG culture has always held deep meaning.
"In our culture, the body has long served as a 'canvas' for self-expression and to convey a multitude of messages to the outside world," Mel said.
"Beyond being a vehicle for social communication and living art, there are also spiritual domains and meanings to the body adornment.
"Our connection with everything living is innate to us. It is through the domain of the natural world that the spirits and our ancestors supply us with cosmological and spiritual knowledge, prosperity, balance and materials to decorate our bodies and beyond.
"Adorning the body with a feather or skin from the natural world activates a metamorphosis within us and thus we become a living embodiment of the living environment."
Mangi Koteka, 2013. (Image: Wylda Bayron)
This is the first time these adornments have been commissioned for an Australian institution.
Head of the Australian Museum's Pacific Collections, Tongan and Fijian woman Melissa Malu said the museum's collection is one of the most significant in the world with over 60,000 objects from across the PNG region.
"Objects within the collection still hold powerful symbolism – an important aspect of cultural heritage for these diverse communities," she said.
"A key aspect of this exhibition is the scientific and spiritual restoration of objects in the exhibition.
"Traditional Owners feel strong connections to these objects, and in preparing them for display, restoration is an act of cultural continuity that is documented and conveyed to our Pasifika community."
Bilas comes to life at the Australian Museum from June 9.
