Post #412503 by bigbrotiki on Thu, Oct 9, 2008 1:02 PM

I urge everyone who happens to travel to Germany to visit this museum. It has a very formal 19th century exterior

... which at a closer look reveals some exotic embellishments:

It's marbled entrance hall has some nice details, too...

Like, (when looking above to the right), this gold-tiled water fountain oriental face spout:

...whose features remind me of the "mysterious East" figure on the famous Zombie Village menu:

Or how about this 1910s expressionist "native girl" mural?:

When taking the stairs to the big 1. floor hall, one finds a most impressive outrigger canoe collection on the walls:

Trough the door on the left we enter the realm of the South Seas, here a general display case:

And while many artifacts are presented in a more modern, clean way, like these Mortlock masks:

...and this lovely Caroline Island deity:

I was happy to find that upon re-opening their recently remodeled "Masks of the South Seas" exhibit...

..the museum kept the original character of "primitive art suspended in black space" intact:

The presentation of artifacts that are lit only by spotlights in a black space...

...is most dramatic especially when underscored with a ritual drum and chant soundtrack

...as is the case here. This is the quality I try to capture in some of my mug photographs

And while maybe old-fashioned and not p.c. because of lacking scientific objectivity, I favor this form of atmospheric display over the modern, boring one. Here's one for Rob Hamel, showing this display concept's kinship to black velvet painting:

Here's one for Zeta:

..with a little side reference to Polynesian pop:

Back at the museum, here an Uli figure, and other New Ireland masks:

...and several Malangan carvings:

Here a drum, surrounded by several full body dance masks:

The opening of the exhibit was accompanied by guided tours, and lectures in the classic museum auditorium, here on the masks of the Sulka:

...who have a large showcase in the exhibition:

...where they are underlit dramatically:

Not far across from the museum, across the street, I walked by the Curio Haus, and was reminded of how this venue was once home to several avantgardist art school parties in the 1920s, where the proximity to the newly discovered primitive arts inspired the design and theme of the rooms:

...and the artists' performances, like this 1926 play titled "Noa Tawa- The Emerging Island":

...with the participants dressing up as natives and European "whiteys", respectively:

(Note the Aloha Jhoe's style Duk Duk dance mask in the middle)

While pondering how nowadays the South Seas culture has pretty much disappeared from consciousness in Germany, I continued my walk down the Rothenbaumchaussee to the Dammtor train station. There I gladly took the opportunity to stop by the Radisson Hotel's Trader Vic's for a Navy Grog:

...before boarding the train to Berlin. A satisfying end to a very satisfying expedition, indeed.

I hope that Jon Paul and Marie, who happened to be in Germany at the same time, will be able to ad some more images to this post.

NEXT: The Maori Haus!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-10-09 13:11 ]