New Caledonia - Culture

Culture

Wood carving, especially of the houp (Montrouziera cauliflora), is a contemporary reflection of the beliefs of the traditional tribal society, and includes totems, masks, chambranles, or flèche faitière, a kind of arrow which adorns the roofs of Kanak houses. Basketry is a craft widely practiced by tribal women, creating objects of daily use.

The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano and opened in 1998, is the icon of the Kanak culture.

The Kaneka is a form of local music, inspired by reggae and originating in the 1980s.

The Mwâ Ka is a 12m totem pole commemorating the French annexation of New Caledonia, and was inaugurated in 2005.

Read more about this topic:  New Caledonia

Famous quotes containing the word culture:

    There is something terribly wrong with a culture inebriated by noise and gregariousness.
    George Steiner (b. 1929)

    The future is built on brains, not prom court, as most people can tell you after attending their high school reunion. But you’d never know it by talking to kids or listening to the messages they get from the culture and even from their schools.
    Anna Quindlen (b. 1953)

    It is of the essence of imaginative culture that it transcends the limits both of the naturally possible and of the morally acceptable.
    Northrop Frye (b. 1912)