Place: What does it mean to have a creative practice here in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Arjun Appadurai’s book, ’Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation’, makes a significant contribution to contemporary social-cultural anthropology. He proposes a radically new and alternative framework for the cultural study of globalization.

“Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy”, is a critical analysis of the “politics of Global culture” (p37) within the modern world, one which in his opinion, must be “seen as a complex and overlapping, disjunctive order that cannot any longer be understood in terms of existing centre-periphery models.”(p32) Those already in existence, fail to comprehend a fundamental truth of “disjuncture” and its link to a present day global reality.

Appadurai uses concepts of the “image, the imagined, the imaginary” (p31) as tool to guide our understanding of ‘self’ within the modern world.

He purports that “the world we live in today is characterized by a new role for the imagination in social life.” (p31) “Imagination” Appadurai claims is vital in its role for “something critical and new in the global process: the imagination as a social practice.” One which is not self deluding; that is neither “mere fantasy” (p31) nor “simple escape” (p31) but rather what is offered by Appadurai appears to be a message of “hope.” (p43)

His argument fundamentally claims our global future is dependent on… “Our very models of cultural shape will have to alter as configurations of people, place, and heritage lose semblance of isomorphism.”(p46)

Appadurai states “The past is now not a land to return to in a simple politics of memory. “(p30)

In comparison it’s interesting to consider the research of another cultural anthropologist, Epeli Hau’Ofa and his essay “Our Sea of Islands”. Hau’Ofa offers a differing analysis and critique of the contemporary global environment. One which he purports previously had excluded “Oceania” which he refers to as ‘world enlargement.’(p6) The premise of Hau’Ofa argument is dependent on a return to Oceania’s cultural heritage; their “ancient truth,” (p16) as a means forward. Hau’Ofa states that Oceania’s indigenous ‘identity’ of ‘self’ has been negatively affected by cultural disjuncture. He acknowledges, nevertheless that global expansion has had a “liberating effect on the lives of ordinary people of Oceania” (p10) which profoundly expanded the world “on a scale not possible before” (p10)  

I believe how we imagine the world and how the “imagined world” influences the image of ‘self, to be significant to creative practice within Aoteroa New Zealand. We are a nation of increasing multi-cultural diversity, and perhaps for many of us, personal knowledge of our own cultural heritage is reliant on our imagination alone. Our geographical position offers liberation from the weight of cultural history for many of us. For others, it is a source of conflict of Identity. Both interpretations raise extremely pertinent issues.

However the concept of a constructed ‘self’ has a history in art. There is an innate human desire to make sense of our existence. Perhaps therefore, the function of the artist has never been more important. If we could conceive part of our role is the conscience of contemporary society, persistently evaluating and re’evaluating the world.           

References:

Ajuin Appadurai, "Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Culture Economy", Modernity at Large: Cultural Diamensions of Globalisation, Minneapolis:University of Minnesota Press,1996, pp.27-47

Epeli Hau'ofa, "Our Sea of Islands", A New Oceania: Rediscovering Our Sea Of Islands, Suva, Fiji: The University of the South Pacific, 1993, pp3-16.