ARCHIcafe 5

During her lecture this week, Carroll Go-Sam (2008) discussed the idea of indigenous identity in the public realm. She raised questions about what true identity is, what true history is and how could architecture tell an accurate story about a culture..

Aboriginal identities have received a mixed, broad and often ambiguous perception in the public realm. Images splash the media pages of alcoholism, rape, protest and other negative depictions of their culture. We are not educated on the positive nature of this culture, or the true practices and fabric that give identity to the Aboriginal people. There is also what Go-Sam (2008) describes as “Pan Identity”, which can sometimes be an iconic symbol of a culture, like the didgeridoo that is in fact an instrument specific to a certain tribe. This lack of education often leads to stereotyping and looses the integrity and validity to an indigenous culture and history.

In architecture we can provoke and evoke social change and awareness. Renzo Piano’s Centre Culturel Tjibaou in New Caledonia has been described as “important and progressive” (Message, 2006, p. 7) in creating a symbol for this kind of social change. The architecture, the activities and the workshops that are part of the project create an interest in the culture and traditions of the Kenak people. The center was named after a revolutionary leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who believed two cultures could peacefully exist side by side. To achieve this he perceived that “strength would emerge as a by-product of cultural pride” (Message, 2006, p. 13). It is an important landmark for social change because it educated and produced symbols of national identity to the people at a time where there was political transition.

Similar to this I believe that Australia is undergoing a political change and a heightened awareness of Aboriginal culture and identity. During February 2008 by Prime minister Kevin Rudd delivered a speech that aimed to respectfully acknowledge the past injustices to the Aboriginal people and embrace a “proud people and a proud culture” (Rudd, 2008, p. 1). This speech encouraged a nation to unite, to reconcile and to embrace a partnership of indigenous and non-indigenous. We live now with a new version of tradition, a contemporary culture that encompasses many. In Tijibaous words however we must face tomorrow with “a firm personality” (Message, 2006, p. 13).

REFERENCES:

Go-Sam, C. (2008). Contested Space: Musgrave Park Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Rudd, K. (2008, February 13). Kevin Rudd’s sorry speech. Sydney Morning Herald, p. 1.

Mayo, J. M. (1996). The manifestation of politics in architectural practice. Journal of Architectural Education, 50 (2) 76-88.

Message, K. (2006). Contested sites of identity and the cult of the new: the Centre Culturel and the constitution of culture in New Caledonia. reCollections: journal of the National Museum of Australia, 1 (1), 7-28.