Exhibition – MARIND ANIM DEMA SPIRIT COSTUMES: Coiffures / Sculpture d’ Oceanie 1999 Nouvelle Bretagne et Irian Jaya

MARIND ANIM DEMA SPIRIT COSTUMES: Coiffures / Sculpture d’ Oceanie 1999 Nouvelle Bretagne et Irian Jaya

At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE Paris

This superb exhibition was held in the grand spaces of  The Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie (National Museum of Arts of Africa and Oceania) a museum formerly located in the Palais de la Porte Dorée on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes at 293, avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France and is now part of  The Musee du Quai Branly in Paris

Todd Barlin had spent several years working with the elders in The Marind Anima Area to be able to watch & photograph the making of the important Dema Spirits Costumes & the actual Dema Ceremonies from start to finish, this had not been seen since the very early 20^th Century.  This collection of the Dema Costumes is now in the permanent collection of The Musee du Quai Branly in Paris

The headdresses of the Marind Anim People, one of the best-known groups of Irian Jaya (a region south of western New Guinea), are arrangements of wooden figures, cut-out elements covered with red seeds and large feather headdresses that top costumes featuring the attributes of “Dema” spirits.

The exhibition presents two series of spectacular Masks & Sculptures from Irian Jaya (Western New Guinea-Indonesia) & New Britain Island Papua New Guinea

Marind Anim at Musee National Des Arts Paris 1999. pdf

 

 

 

The History of The Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie

The Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie (National Museum of Arts of Africa and Oceania) was a museum formerly located in the Palais de la Porte Dorée on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes at 293, avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France.

The museum began as the colonial exhibition of 1931, was renamed in 1935 the Musée de la France d’Outre-mer, then in 1960 the Musée des Arts africains et océaniens, and finally in 1990 the Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie.

In 2003 the museum’s collection was merged into the Musée du Quai Branly, and in its place the Palais de la Porte Dorée now houses the Cité nationale de l’histoire de l’immigration. Its tropical aquarium remains in the cellar of the Palais de la Porte Dorée and is open to the public.