Events
Exhibitions
Kal Angam-Kal: Stories from West Papua
Exhibitions
BOOK NOWKal Angam-Kal: Stories from West Papua
Exhibition Date: 1 November 2023—28 January 2024
Launch Event: 4 November 2023, 3—5 pm
Panel and Screening: 16 November 2023, 6—8pm
Event Information
Kal angam-kal: Stories from West Papua is a documentary exhibition that brings together Elders and Young people from the Narrm (Melbourne) based West Papuan community in a series of youth-led intergenerational interviews.
Kal angam-kal is a proverb in the indigenous language of the Amungme tribe of Timika, West Papua meaning “the word has been spoken out”.
kal-angam-kal
conversation-the people-conversation
Kal angam-kal refers to the intergenerational, never-ending continuation of storytelling as knowledge sharing for the Amungme people.
This exhibition features a series of new video works of West Papuan Young People interviewing their Elders, sharing their culture, their people’s struggle and hopes for the future. The Young People in this project participated in a series of culturally-informed developmental workshops focusing on leadership, interviewing and public speaking skills. The interviews were co-designed with Young People leading the storytelling process.
Kal angam-kal first started in 2021, as a project to document Elder stories for the 60th anniversary of the first raising of West Papua’s symbol of independence, the Morning Star Flag on December 1st. This Morning Star flag continues to be a powerful unifying symbol for West Papua’s struggle for self-determination.
Kal Angam-Kal Panel and Screening
Join us for a screening of documentary Land of the Morning Star (dir. Mark Worth, 2004, 55mins).
Land of the Morning Star reveals the turbulent history of West Papua, swept up in the power-play of international politics. Through eyewitness accounts and rare archival film, this fascinating documentary paints a picture that is intimate in detail but epic in scope. It is a sweeping saga of colonial ambitions, cold war sellouts and fervent nationalism, which highlights the role of players such as Australia and the UN at crucial points in West Papua’s history. By providing a background to this complex story, this timely film helps us understand the reality of life today in the land of the morning star.
This screening will be followed by a panel featuring West Papuan community leaders Paula Makabory and Ronny Kareni joined by Kal angam-kal project creators Cyndi Makabory and Yasbelle Kerkow.
Book your tickets: Kal Angam-Kal Panel and Screening
Instagram: @kalangamkal
Exhibition: 1 November 2023—28 January 2024
Launch Event: 4 November 2023, 3—5 pm (Auslan interpreted)
Panel and Screening: 16 November 2023, 6—8pm
Presented at Footscray Community Arts with support from Cinespace, Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Victoria
Date & Times
- When
-
Wednesday 1 November 9:30 am
Sunday 28 January 4:00 pm
- Venue
- Gabriel Gallery
- Cost
Free
Meet the Artists
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Yasbelle Kerkow
Yasbelle Kerkow is an artist, emerging filmmaker and Pacific community organiser. Her arts and community practices centres Fijian women’s material culture, climate change, intergenerational conversations and communicating Melanesian stories through the arts. She’s previously been a finalist in the 2020 Churchie Emerging Art Prize, 2019 Wyndham Art Prize and the 2019 Footscray Art Prize. She participated in 2021’s Makeshift Publics program at Arts House and in 2019’s Next Wave Festival’s Kickstart Program.
Instagram: @yazzkailomai
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Cyndi Makabory
Born in West Papua, Cyndi Makabory came to so-called Australia at a young age. She was born into the Free West Papua movement and comes from a strong activist family. Cyndi is a recent Law graduate, and she is passionate about fighting for a Free West Papua locally and internationally. She has represented her community on various platforms including on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement at the 2020 Melbourne Rally. Kal angam-kal is her first film project.
Instagram: @cyndimaka
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Folole Tupuola
Folole Tupuola is a polynesian woman born in Aotearoa, who grew up on Wiradjuri peoples land (Regional New South Wales) as a first generation migrant/settler from Samoa (Siumu and Vailima). Emerging indigenous storyteller in Siva Samoa, visual art, climate justice and social justice. Advocates cultural resilience and artistic healing with and for Oceania. Folole brings to light mental well-being, activism and decolonisation as a young Pacific diaspora youth in so called Australia.
Instagram: @13ftriangle
Credits
Credits:
Lead Artist: Cyndi Makabory and Yasbelle Kerkow
Produced by: Yasbelle Kerkow and Folole Tupuola
Cinematographer: Ashleigh Hammond
Sound Recordist: Hayden Guildford
Camera assistant/gaffer: Tengis Dorj
Production Assistants: Folole Tupuola and Halle Murphy
Translation: Nuevaterra Mambor
Editing: Zia Sadeqi and RhianHinkley
Exhibition consultation: Kate ten Buuren
Designer: Denis Grauel
Music by: David Bridie featuring Arnold Ap and the Mambesak band
Youth Workshop Program Team
Youth Workers: Idil Ali and Tiannah Truong
Workshop Facilitator: Namila Benson, Cyndi Makabory, Yasbelle Kerkow and Folole Tupuola
Footscray Community Arts
Creative Producer: Urvi Majumdar and Aamer Ahmed
Exhibition Designer: Benjamin Bannan
Marketing Campaign Coordinator: Jeevika Rajagopal
Special thanks to:
Yarra Youth Services
Collingwood Neighbourhood House
Cinespace
VA Hire
Shaun Miller Lawyer
Media Mentors
John Kassab
Ticketing
This is a past event