Monthly Archives: August 2018

DD3006_02_Art from West Africa

Journal, , , ,

Video George the Poet – The Benin Bronze:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IlUMUGUorw#action=share

It was an eye-opening story in which the fate of cultural artefacts the Benin Bronze ‘plundered’ by British forces during colonialism period was being debated. It was asked whom this artefacts belong to, is it part of the Nigeria history? Or it has now become a part of British history?

To me, it really remind me (and mentioned by Sujatha as well) of the Elgin Marbles I learnt when taking DD8008 Faith & Art last semester. In the end, it feels like it comes back to the question: what is history and whom does it belong to?. Personally, I am one of those who believe that the history belong to the human race and it doesn’t matter where it is being stored geographically. As long as the items are being taken care of, it is still a proved of our history, the history of the world. Meanwhile, the word ‘own’ and ‘belong’ to me, sounds to be an egoistic phrase used for countries/museums to be ‘fighting’ over artefacts. Because eventually, the artefacts will be the reasons for visitors to come and improve their visits and tourism industry. If that is the reason, doesn’t it feel like we have lost the true meaning of preserving the history of mankind and making it to be tools that give economic benefit?

An interesting thing I remembered that is kind of related is the story of the Lampedusa cross. The story can be read here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35360682 and https://www.maristmessenger.co.nz/2017/01/31/the-carpenter-and-the-crosses/

Wooden cross of Latin type made from pieces of a boat that was wrecked off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy on 11 October, 2013. The vertical and horiziontal pieces are joined with a cross halved joint. The cross piece retains scuffed blue paint on the front, upper and lower surfaces. The front of the vertical section has layers of damaged paint. The base coat is dark green which was covered with a beige colour then painted orange. The sides and back are planed down to the timber surface. There is a small hole for suspension on the back of the vertical near the top. A fragment of an iron nail survives at the top in the right side of the cross piece. The back of the cross piece is signed F. Tuccio, Lampedusa
Wooden cross of Latin type made from pieces of a boat that was wrecked off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy on 11 October, 2013. The vertical and horiziontal pieces are joined with a cross halved joint. The cross piece retains scuffed blue paint on the front, upper and lower surfaces. The front of the vertical section has layers of damaged paint. The base coat is dark green which was covered with a beige colour then painted orange. The sides and back are planed down to the timber surface. There is a small hole for suspension on the back of the vertical near the top. A fragment of an iron nail survives at the top in the right side of the cross piece. The back of the cross piece is signed F. Tuccio, Lampedusa

In summary, a carpenter named Francisco Tuccio’s crafted “Lampedusa Cross” out of a scattered collection of driftwood washed ashore from boats carrying Eritrean refugees. Tuccio sat and witnessed migrants mourn for the losses of their loved ones and was inspired to provide a sense of hope for those that left their homes with expectations of a better life. Hence, he used pieces of driftwood to make small individual crosses for refugees that lived near him to  represent the dreams of those hoping to persist and survive. His simple gesture served as a reminder to continue to have faith. In October of 2015, his story made its way to the British Museum, which commissioned him to make a cross to encapsulate this poignant moment in history.

The story really made me feel that other than focusing on the past artefacts, we should also find works from our generation to be the ‘future artefacts’ and what we want our generation to pass on to be part of culture of the next ones.

UPDATE: researching on the Benin Bronze again, I found this news: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/benin-dialogue-group-ocotober-2018-1376824 which basically share that major museums across Europe have agreed to loan important artefacts back to Nigeria for a new Royal Museum planned to open in 2021. Even though the items will be on loan, I think it is a really good arrangement for everyone to show respect towards the humanity artefacts and giving opportunity for it to be shown in its homeland it was made. I guess, even though it is quite political and has financial reason, it is a great steps towards preserving the history of humanity together more than as per country.

Resources

https://answersafrica.com/historical-facts-benin-bronze-figures.html

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/20/bringing-home-benin-bronzes-nigeria-open-loans-rather-permanent/

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/sep/11/2

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312290

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35360682

The Effect of the Lampedusa Cross

Europe’s Largest Museums Will Loan Looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria’s Planned Royal Museum

The carpenter and the crosses

DD3006_01_Why you don’t like Art History!

Journal, My Work,

Watching the video again, I couldn’t help but agree with its content.

Firstly,  I also feel that Art History is really not merely a linear timeline of artworks compilation but more of the interaction and influence and lives that are happening around those artworks. And the artworks, more than being prove that they really happened in the past, serve as some kind of message for the future.

It was also true that art tend to be biased and I personally feel that I remember and have tendency to be more interested into topics that I have known before. I agree that we might have been biased sometimes hence remembered incompletely.

In my opinion, a sad truth is that our current society, who statistically more illiterate and educated, might have the habit or tendency to be taking art for granted. The accessibility and convenience in finding art might have make our generation value art less. I am not talking about those who study or like art, it just based on my personal experience, I found that when I  share to others about Art History related (project-related or just interesting facts about some artwork), many of my friends will say that they have heard about it or something similar to that instead of being curious and wanting to know more.

A significant reason I could think of might be the internet that has enable everyone to know more about literally almost everything. Not saying that it is bad, I was just feeling that the access to art which was once a privilege for those of higher social status (esp in more indigenous group), or who were wealthy and more educated (esp in more modern context) has become something that is available for everyone and that might make it being taken for granted.

I don’t know, sometimes I wonder how will the civilisation in the year of, let’s say, 2500 AC see our generation. Will the only artworks left belong to those the very famous ones and those being documented and preserved properly while actually everything around us now are the works of art? How will our generation that has been saving their own records of art (i,e. life) through internet record be seen from the future? Will there be some kind of natural selection of art? Or will there be too much information that leads to some kind of ‘reset’ of art of the mankind? Or maybe… This kind of thoughts have been thought by those in the past as well… Maybe history really repeats……….

I don’t know… Well, I guess I don’t like art history because learning it somehow forces me to explore the ‘unknown’ and to face the things that is actually important-but-covered-by-daily-mundane-things-like-money,  and the messages within the artworks….. maybe sometimes it is better to not about know it. Sometimes.. (but keep learning about anything anywhere is a good thing, supposedly).

Video link: https://www.pbs.org/video/why-you-dont-like-art-history-y5lfur/