Oceanic Art Speaks - Anna-Karina Hermkens

"We are no longer Maisin”: The Impact of Climate Change on Art and Culture in Papua New Guinea

Join us to hear Anna-Karina Hermkens talk about the predicament of the Maisin people living in Collingwood Bay in Papua New Guinea (PNG), highlighting how the compounded effects of climate change in Collingwood Bay endanger the creation and use of bark-cloth (tapa) and what it means to be Maisin.

Despite the urgency of the climate change crisis and the increasing amount of research being undertaken, little is known about how climate change impacts local cultural art productions in the Pacific. While lots of effort and attention has been directed towards understanding biophysical impacts, the intangible, social and cultural impacts of climate change are frequently neglected.

Dr Anna-Karina Hermkens is Senior Lecturer Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, Society and Culture, Macquarie University.