Marinka Masseus & Wanda Michalak “Welkam long Papua Niugini” 30.05 – 18.07.2015

May 30, 2015 12:00 am Published by admin

Welkam long Papua Niugini
(Welcome to Papua New Guinea)
By Marinka Masséus & Wanda Michalak
Date: May 30th 2015 through July 18th 2015
Opening: Saturday, May 30th
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Pristine, pure, fierce, stunning. All words used to describe Papua New Guinea. And rightly so. Yet at the same time words are inadequate as they can only hint at the explosive profusion of colours, smells and sights this wondrous country exudes. This unique land is like all other worlds in one. Words cannot capture her. To understand PNG you have to see PNG.

© Marinka Masséus		© Wanda Michalak
About the exhibition: The upcoming photographic exhibition “Welkam long Papua Niugini” (Welcome to Papua New Guinea in Pidgin) by Marinka Masséus and Wanda Michalak seeks to present a uniquely multifaceted vision of pristine, steaming landscapes, portraits of exuberant maquillage, explosive facial expressions, urban tribalism, physical embodiments of graphic cultural expression and all other manner of incidental flotsam and jetsam. Both artists have travelled widely in PNG and their photographic eyes have managed to capture a wide array of fascinating shots and observations from a multitude of places and spaces. Not least, both artists have also been lucky enough to shoot their subject matter during the renowned annual Goroka Show, PNG’s oldest cultural festival. Instigated in the mid-1950’s by Australian Kiaps (district or patrol officers who represented British and Australian authority in the nearly inaccessible areas of PNG before its independence in 1975) the Goroka Highland Festival, or Sing-Sing, was a – successful – attempt by the colonial authorities to promote peaceful cultural interaction between PNG’s mutually distrustful tribes, break the cycle of perpetual revenge killings and thus pacify the country’s fierce warrior culture. “Welkam long Papua Niugini” at WM Gallery will give a unique version of this amazing country, its fascinating people and their embodied expression.About PNG: This tropical island group situated between Australia’s Northern Territory and Indonesia’s half of the island, Irian Jaya, offers a stunning diversity of culture and nature. The impenetrability of its jungles and mountain ranges has caused over 700 tribes to develop in virtual isolation from each other. This has formed the basis for an unprecedented profusion of cultures each with their own unique traditions and language. Indeed, some 20% of the world’s languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea alongside a Creole language called Tok Pisin, or Pidgin, PNG’s official lingua franca. For centuries Papua New Guinea has been mostly undisturbed by outside influences. The reputation of its fierce warriors has kept Western conquerors and – later – investors and visitors at arm’s length. This has preserved the wonderfully dense and wild nature and the unique ways of its inhabitants.“Welkam long Papua Niugini” will give you an unprecedented view of this amazing country and its fascinating people.The opening will be held on Saturday, May 30th at WM Gallery, Elandsgracht 35 1016TN Amsterdam, from 17:00 – 19:00 hrs (5 – 7 PM). Both artists will be present at the opening.
© Wanda Michalak		© Wanda Michalak
© Wanda Michalak

About the Artists: Marinka Masséus To award winning photographer Marinka Masséus, photography is about intuition and instinctively responding to the world. The camera has always been an integral part of her life, she was 9 years old when her father gave her his old B&W to experiment. During her times abroad both passions for photography and travel grew. After finishing her MBA, her studies in Buddhist Psychology guided her philosophical journey and the Photo Academy in Amsterdam stimulated her to channel her concepts and feelings into images. Often in black-and-white since she feels this conveys the essence of an image and renders it graphical. Marinka’s photography revolves around people and is a constant reflection of her passion and fascination for human nature and the way we live our lives. Her ultimate wish for her photography is the chance to make a difference. By creating awareness and touching people’s feelings, since she believes that an image is indeed stronger than a 1000 words. Masséus’ acclaim includes 1st Place-Outstanding Achievement 8th Annual International Color Awards, TPOTY International Travel Photographer 2014, IPA International Photography Award 2nd Prize 2014, New Dutch Talent 2014, Talent 2014, multiple Honourable Mentions at Px3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, IPA, and Color Awards, numerous book publications and her work is shown in the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, Germany and the Royal Geographical Society in London.Wanda Michalak While living in Australia the last few years Wanda Michalak (Warsaw, PL) has visited PNG several times and ultimately fallen in love with the country and its people. Never without her camera, neither on land or under water, she has collected an impressive body of work some of which will be shown at the WM Gallery. Michalak finished her training as a professional photographer at Carrington Polytechnic Design School in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990. Since then, she has travelled, photographed and exhibited extensively. Her various series, including ‘Bonsoir Madame La Lune’, ‘Dialogues, Dialogues’, ‘Horizons’, ‘Living With Birds’, ‘Somewhere, Nowhere’ and, most famously, her ‘World Watching’ cycle have won wide critical acclaim. Her work has been exhibited in Poland, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Brazil, Bulgaria and Austria amongst many other places. Michalak’s work has been published in several albums, including Bonsoir Madame La Lune and World Watching I and World Watching II. Her work has been acquired and collected in public, private and corporate collections in Poland, The Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand and Australia. Wanda Michalak is the founder and director of Gallery WM in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
© Marinka Masséus		© Marinka Masséus
© Marinka Masséus