CONNECTING BORDERS THROUGH ARTS & CULTURE

 Contemporary Art in Papua New Guinea has been neglected for almost three decades, following its creative liberation after the obliteration of the National Arts School in 1990. Considered artists without educational qualifications, are perceived as colossal barrier to fulfilling their artistic careers. Present artists tend to see themselves as "outsiders" deprived of government funding, and without a gallery space for exhibitions. Lacking proper legislation for consolidating intellectual property rights, several artists works have even been used on social media platforms without their authorization.

The National Cultural Commission want to revive PNG Contemporary Arts in a different light, in the spirit of art, colour, creativity, people-to-people contacts, and cross-fertilization of cultures through our rich interactions celebrating our cultural diversity. These features make this art so special that we want to show the nation under different radiance.

The role of the National Cultural Commission is to put culture at the heart of our international relations and to underline its importance in all our societies a substantial vehicle to build links between people and beyond borders. Culture can also be an engine for economic and social development and become a vector for economic growth, not only in its traditional forms, but particularly through the cultural and creative sectors, partnerships with the private sector, and further development of the tourism sector.

Culture is also a powerful tool to engage citizens, communities, and governments, and measures. There is still a way to go for the creative sector in PNG but it is growing day by day, is dynamic, and it highly committed and engaged persons. We are all very positive about the future of sector, deserves the support of development partners, also the private sector as part of its corporate social responsibility strategies.

For this exhibition, we also want to support present-day artists and the pioneers of local Contemporary Arts. We are honoured by their enthusiasm, creativity, their professionalism struggled for the last 50 years in to create Contemporary Art in Papua New Guinea.