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https://theconversation.com/repatriation-or-political-theatre-how-the-return-of-stolen-artefacts-can-distort-history-265290>
"In late July, during a visit to the National Gallery of Australia, three
Buddhist bodhisattva statues caught my attention.
All three were created in the ancient Champa Kingdom that flourished from the
2nd to 19th centuries across present-day Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. They were
purchased by the National Gallery (NGA) in 2011, before being “repatriated” to
the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2023 (and displayed in the NGA on loan).
But the Champa Kingdom bore little resemblance to Cambodia’s current borders.
What does repatriation mean when the political geography of a place has
entirely transformed?
As my research has shown, museums, schools and state institutions can help
sanction certain versions of history, while marginalising others. The quiet
presence of the bodhisattvas in a museum case embodies much larger questions
about cultural heritage, political legitimacy, and who gets to define
historical “truth”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
