Lectures TAF October 2023
location: The lectures can only be attended in De Duif during the fair.
They will not be online.
Aanmelden via [email protected] of 020-6237027/06-24905585
You can register at [email protected] or 020-6237027/06-24905585
Friday 27 October (English)
16.30
In God’s mirror, The Theyyams of Malabar – By Pepita Seth
A talk by Kapil Jariwala
Theyyam is an extraordinary 2,000-year-old ritual of worship found only in India’s south-western state of Kerala. It is in this myth-wrapped land that empowered men become temporarily transformed into deities. While the process is an internal one that obliterates the practitioner’s human persona, on an external level his face is transformed by intricate make-up
and his body fantastically costumed. The word ‘Theyyam’ is a corruption of daivam , meaning, quite simply, God. The practitioners of Theyyam perform specific rituals and dance to express their joy at seeing their devotees, while the last stages of their manifestation involve them blessing, healing, exorcising, answering questions and maintaining the link between humanity and the divine.
Pepita Seth’s decades-long association with Theyyam’s practitioners gave her unprecedented access to their unique culture. In God’s Mirror: The Theyyams of Malabar is the culmination, in her words and photographs, of her commitment to this extraordinary subject.
The book is available at the fair priced 60 Euros or GBP 50
Contact Kapil Jariwala [email protected]
Saturday 28 October (English)
14.00
Art as a living remembrance of past identity
Book presentation :The Schick Collection – Art from another world
Antje Baecker and Dr. David Zemanek
Artworks from foreign lands are far from being simple decorative objects. People in Indonesia who live alongside their anthropomorphic objects perceive these objects as persons – as active and influential authorities of the family and the community. Indigenous people place these human-like repositories that are imbued with more-than-human-like qualities in prominent places in the house. In this way, ancestors transform a house into a home. Through their presence, their past identities are embedded in people’s lived identities and thus play an important role in the present. Collectors of indigenous works of art also ascribe vitality to these objects, relate to them and regard them as personalities with individual preferences that must be respected, thus giving continuity to the cultural biography of these objects. This approach can be understood as an attitude of respect towards artworks and their cultures of origin.
With their collection and the accompanying volume, Katarina and Anton Schick have created a monument to artistic creativity. The home they created for their creatures is a testament to this respect.
28 oktober 16.00 (NL)
Oog in oog met de goden
Een zoektocht naar Indiase bronzen en hun makers
Alexander Reeuwijk
Centraal in het Aziatisch Paviljoen van het Rijksmuseum staat een puntgave Nataraja, een dansende Shiva, uit de twaalfde eeuw. Toen schrijver en reiziger Alexander Reeuwijk het beeld in 2013 zag staan, raakte hij er dusdanig door gefascineerd dat hij zichzelf als opdracht gaf om te proberen de Nataraja zo dicht mogelijk op de huid te zitten, zowel fysiek als spiritueel. Hij schreef er een boek over, Oog in oog met de goden (Uitgeverij Querido) en zal over zijn zoektocht vertellen tijdens de lezing op de Tribal Art Fair.
Alexander Reeuwijk (1975) is schrijver en reiziger. Hij publiceerde eerder boeken over de evolutietheorie, de natuur in Indonesië en over Iran. Voor de Asian Library van de Universiteit Leiden stelde hij het internationaal bekroonde boek Voyage of Discovery samen. In zijn meest recente boek schrijft hij niet alleen over de Nataraja van de KVVAK in het Rijksmuseum, maar ook over de Indiase samenleving aan de hand van een samengestelde familie die heden ten dage bronzen godenbeelden vervaardigd, op de traditionele manier.
Sunday 29 October (English)
14.00
Mini-symposium on authenticity.
Speakers: Bruno Claessens and Andreas Schlothauer
discussion led by: Philip Van Kerrebroeck
Authenticity is an important, but also controversial topic in tribal art. In this mini-symposium two experts will discuss different aspects of authenticity, based on their expertise and experience. Andreas Schlothauer will discuss “Adulteration of tribal objects in European Museum Collections: how much fake is in an original ?”, and Bruno Claessens will give a talk “Beyond Illusions: navigating Authenticity and Fakes in African Art”.
After the presentations there will be ample time for discussion!
Sunday 29 October (English)
16.00
Book presentation and lecture: “Cache-sexe, Covered, uncovered, discovered.”
Philip Van Kerrebroeck
Through history humans of all continents have covered their genitals and worn a cache-sexe. A cache-sexe can be a protection, but can also draw attention, even stimulate some thoughts. Especially in tribal societies remarkable examples have been developed. In this lecture they will be presented with unique documentation, and discussed in the framework of their ethnographic and anthropological relevance.