The exhibition has a circular layout in which the introduction is also the conclusion. This circular plan is organised according to one of the main themes entitled "the five faces", characterised by the powerful and evident presence of the Kanak word, and a secondary theme entitled "the reflections". This features documentary evidence and traces the development of the western perception of the Kanak world.
Némèè: the "faces"
In the Kanak tradition, presenting oneself equates to showing one's face: this is a traditional protocol when entering into the traditional spaces for both individuals and for the representatives of a group. These five "faces" are named in the Ajië language, one of the 28 Kanak languages which are still spoken.
Nô : the Verb and the Word
The importance of the Word is illustrated in the figure of the chief (also called “the great elder”). It is expressed in what is called the "custom". Shell coins still have their place today. In earlier times, prestigious objects were exchanged, such as jade axes, objects decorated with cords of flying fox hair and a variety of ornaments. These objects form the medium for this Word. The historical figure of Great Chief Mindia (1856-1921) is examined in this section.
Mwâ ma mwâcirî: the house and the landscape
The traditional Kanak country is organised around three visible realities that are landscape features: the places of origin, the Grand Huts installed at the top of a landscaped alley, the altars to spirits and the remains of original houses. Contemporary memory preserves these ancient paths, which were destroyed by colonial development, population displacements and the enclosure of the Kanak into reserves. The historical figure of Great Chief Nidoish Naissiline (18??- 1880) is examined in this section.
Mwâ ma mëu : the taro and the yam
The immutable cycle of the cultivation of the yam, an essential foodstuff, is one of the most important symbols of Kanak life. They enable the understanding of the unswerving attachment of the Kanak to their land and consequently a better comprehension of the drama consequences of the despoilment of this land which ended in the great Kanak revolt of 1878. In this section, the figure of Atai (1833-1878), leader of the Insurrection of 1878, is examined.
Bèmu ma rhee : the ancestors and the spirits
The religious and the sacred are expressed and embodied by the ancestral figure. In traditional society they were made visible through sculpture and masks, while the objects that contained power, such as magic stones, were manipulated in secret. the important role of the dream in Kanak society reflects a mode of communication with the spirits that still exists today. The historical figure of the great chief Aman de Touho illustrates this section.
Kamö ma vibéé : the individual and their connections
The individual is of major importance in the Kanak world. But the importance of the individual's social connections is never forgotten. These connections are recalled during each major life event by means of the circulation of coins that represent them. Contemporary society still lives on the basis of these connections, the depth of which is recalled during weddings and great periods of mourning.
Jean Marie Tjibaou's life ambition (1936-1989) was to attempt to construct a country whose contemporary life was based on the immutable foundations of the Kanak society. The conclusion of the exhibition examines his work.
Komè: the "reflections"
The secondary theme is composed of four "reflections", presented as satellites of the "faces":
- Invention: the Enlightenment
- Inventory: scientific description
- Colonisation: the invention of an imagery of propaganda
- The reappropriation of our image: from Canaque to Kanak
The concept of the "reflection" is used to historically examine all the works presented. They will always be dated with evidence, either relating to the past or working with the past to express the contemporary nature of the works' functions and meanings.
Objects will be presented here that are linked to the great explorations of the 18th and 19th centuries, a documentary evocation of colonial and universal exhibitions during which several Kanak groups, numerous documents illustrating popular images and common venues, photographic images and documents examining the development of the scientific and missionary view of the Kanak world were exhibited.
