Florian Spring

In 2016 I have worked for several months as a carpenter in Papua Neuguinea. Beside my regular work I dedicated myself to the exploration of the Sepik, the longest river on Papua. After some occurrences I ended up in Kandinge, a village in the Sepik swamp. Over there, I spent several weeks until eventually I was accommodated into the Jak Clan. I felt challenged as maybe never before. Every few years a ritual takes place that sends the boys through a ceremony of several weeks and scarifies the bodies with hundreds of cuts. My first stay in Kandinge ended with the invitation to participate as an ovserver in this initation ritual - I left the village. Several returns to Kandinge, however, followed afterwards. I became evermore part of their community and I got introduced to their secrets. In a metaphorical way the people say: „The fence surrounding the manhouse is the nest. The initiated boys are the fresh born corocodiles. After a certain period they are ready to leave the nest.“ In cooperation with the village elders, the project ‘Behind the fence’ took shape. It is dedicated to their myths of nature religion.