Sepik. Art from Papua New Guinea

The Sepik River winds through nearly 1,200 kilometres of swampland and tropical rainforest. Over thousands of years, a diverse collection of cultures and languages has developed along the banks of the river and its countless tributaries. The exhibition illustrates this richness. On display will be 170 works of art, out of which some date back to the first research expeditions of German researchers from the beginning of the 20th century.

It is the immense variety of styles that attracs attention up to this very day: bamboo flutes up to two metres in length whose large figurations are decorated with tousled hairstyles, or bullroarers that simulate the sound of a crocodile. The use of unusual materials such as snails, feathers, bones, and animal teeth created a sensation. With a small crocodile with glowing blue eyes and a twelve meter long boat carved out of a trunk extremes become distinct and visible.

In addition to the exhibits, large-format photographs, audio recordings, and films will help illuminate life past and present along the course of the river. Furthermore there will be an audio guide in English or German for adults and children: CHF 5 / person, CHF 10 / family.