FORUM
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The Forum is an opportunity for readers to interact with the magazine on the major issues confronting the tribal arts community. To participate in an ongoing discussion of these and other topics, go to the Letters section.
The Editorial of our Summer 1997 issue.
It is a commonly held conviction that the last decades of the 20th century have been rich in increased knowledge, understanding and acceptance of the spiritual world outside the confines of traditional Western doctrine. Certainly, in recent years, tribal art has been gaining greater visibility in our society as the media begins granting it more than cursory attention, thus enabling it to reach a larger audience. We hope that this publication serves to add to this exposure, while at the same time helping to lessen the sterile and meaningless associations that have sometimes become connected with tribal art. The relative open-mindedness that is beginning to permeate society is an essential component of our lifestyle. The profound nature of tribal art makes it a valuable tool in the furthering of understanding between cultures, an indispensable element of a future which promises the elimination of borders.
Borders do remain however.
Recent events in Zaire, now The Congo once again, remind us how distant our utopian dreams remain. We can only hope that one dictatorship does not replace another and that the international community does not remain indifferent and paralyzed by conflicting political priorities in the face of this huge, disaster-torn nation.
Despite the difficulties and contradictions of our time, the numerous exhibitions and openings that occur every month serve to remind us of the link art creates between the present and the past. Thanks to the efforts of a few key individuals and institutions, tribal art has been able to assume a greater prominence in the community of world art. Central among these is the Musée Barbier-Mueller which, for the last twenty years, has been among the most constant and determined proponents of tribal art. The museum's goal has not been limited to exhibiting the sculptural value of an object, but extends to make it the subject of research and a catalyst for cultural exchange.
The Barbier-Mueller deserves recognition and thanks for its efforts, and these have been rightly accorded in recent months. On May 27, 1997, after years of diplomacy and construction, the Queen of Spain inaugurated the Museo Barbier-Mueller d'Arti Precolombi in Barcelona. On an individual level, Jean Paul Barbier was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the President of the French Republic on April 10, 1997, and was advanced to the rank of Commandeur de l'Order des Arts et Lettres. The latter was bestowed on him by Pillippe Douste-Blazy, the French Minister of Culture, on April 30 at the Fondation Mona Bismarck in Paris, at the opening of the exhibition of the art of New Ireland from the collection of the Musée Barbier-Mueller. The World of Tribal Arts wishes to extend its congratulations to Jean Paul Barbier and to the Musée Barbier-Mueller.
Jonathan Fogel
Philippe Bourgoin