`Secrecy: African Art that Conceals and Reveals' at City Hall tomorrow evening.

Mary Nooter, who is the Senior Curator for the Museum of African Art in New York has travelled to the Island for two reasons. First, she says, she is anxious to see Bermuda's version of the show she curated which received rave reviews when it opened in New York. (Since Bermuda's first international art exhibition opened, it has attracted over 1,600 adults and 1,900 students from every school on the Island).

Secondly, she will be giving an illustrated lecture which she hopes will explain some of the concepts underlying the exhibition.

Speaking from the museum in New York last week, Ms Nooter said that in her lecture, she wants to go through the theme of the exhibition and then "elaborate a bit.'' First of all, however, she plans to talk a little about the Museum for African Art, its mission, the different types of exhibitions which are held there, and why a particular show is chosen. Pointing out that the `Secrecy' exhibition was the inaugural show for the museum's re-location on Broadway, Ms Nooter emphasised that there is no permanent collection at the museum: "Our shows are constantly changing.'' Most people, she said, don't know where the kernel of an exhibition comes from, so she will be explaining that, in this case, the African exhibition was largely an outcome of her own research.

"Because I spent two years in Zaire, I became personally very familiar with Luba culture.'' But, she said, as Africa is a vast continent of 30 different ethnic groups of differing customs and cultures, she wanted to invite others to participate in the exhibition's final outcome.

This is why the book, which accompanies the exhibition, contains articles by 13 different authors, all of whom focus on different aspects.

"No single person can speak for all Africa, so that is why we have involved people of many different backgrounds in this show. Some originate from the cultures they write about, some are even practitioners, such as diviners, and some have been initiated into a particular culture.'' The theme of this show is secrecy, an aspect of culture that pervades African life. What makes African culture so different, she said, is the way in which works of art are embodiments for secret knowledge.

"Secrecy, of course, is universal, but in this exhibition we explore secrecy in connection with Africa so that we can, hopefully, better understand Africa.

"Even within Africa itself, this theme of secrecy is seen through the eyes of many different people.'' There is, she said, a paradox in the idea that secrecy conceals and reveals: "Secrecy is always two-sided. You have to know that it exists but to retain its power, you have to keep that secret. When I was researching the royal art of the Luba people I came to realise the importance of secrecy as a strategy in things like education, or initiation into adulthood.'' This concept, she added, is quite different from the Western way of thinking, where there tends to be the feeling that wherever knowledge is available, it should be made accessible to as many people as possible: "We, in the West, should perhaps remember that this viewpoint is not necessarily valid in other societies.'' Ms Nooter says her talk, which will be fully illustrated with slides, ends with the question, "Can we ever understand other cultures and the crossing of boundaries? Outsiders are not always meant to know all things, or to impart knowledge.'' Bermuda National Gallery curator Mrs. Laura Gorham says she is hoping that as many people as possible will attend the two lectures arranged in conjunction with the African show.

"We are only charging half-price for members. We are hoping that this exhibition, which has already been seen by almost 3,000 people, will inspire them to become members of the Gallery. We do need the support of the whole community if we are to bring in shows of this calibre in the future.'' A further lecture, dealing with the theme of `masquerade', will be given by Allen F. Roberts, Associate Professor of Anthropology and African-American World Studies, on Friday evening, November 12 at 7.30 p.m.

He is a contributor to the exhibition catalogue, having written the chapter entitled `Insight, or Not Seeing is Believing.' Mary Nooter's illustrated lecture takes place tomorrow, November 10 in the City Hall Theatre at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($5 for members of the Bermuda National Gallery) and are available from the Gallery, reservations 295-9428.

Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays, and from 12.30 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

EXHIBITION CHIEF IN BERMUDA -- Ms Mary Nooter, senior curator of the Museum for African Art in New York, and curator of `Secrecy: African Art that Conceals and Reveals' is here to give a lecture on her show. Pictured with Ms Nooter (second from left) are members of the Bermuda National Gallery committee during their visit to the New York exhibition: (left to right) Mr.

Jay Bluck, Mrs. Marilynn Simmons and Mr. Dusty Hind.