Fri 05.06.2009 Lecture: SUPER A - Man Is Meant to Live, Not Just Survive!

What we today refer to as cargo cults emerged in the early 1960s in the island world of the South Pacific, particularly on the islands of Melanesia, which had been used by the United States military as logistical bases until the mid-1950s.

After the withdrawal of US armed forces, taking with them their considerable wealth and way of life, what is now known as “cargo cult” developed. The inhabitants of the Melanesian archipelago began constructing wooden replicas of American military aircraft, clearing previously untouched jungle areas, and building runways and aircraft hangars. By creating a standing army of their own, they hoped not only to convince the Americans to return with their lifestyle, but also to attract the return of their material goods and wealth.

What may appear to be a form of magical “primitivism” cannot be understood in such simplistic terms. This is the argument of Melanesian historian SUPER A. Through a multimedia presentation that expands and critically examines the cultural practices of his homeland, SUPER A explores the prejudices surrounding cargo cults. His lecture addresses the mechanisms of cargo cults, questions of simulation and dissimulation, and techniques of expectation management.

The results of this research project, developed within the framework of Transversale and in collaboration with the HMKV, form part of a broader discussion on the dialectics of creativity and economy—an issue that is increasingly relevant in Europe today as well.

Join us for SUPER A’s presentation and become part of his groundbreaking vision for the future of cargo cults.

Lecture in English