-----Original Message----- From: h s [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 19 June 2001 08:54 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Thesis Research To Museum-L members, My name is Harmony Simmons and I am a graduate student in the Museum Studies program at San Francisco State University. I am gathering data for my thesis on the display of non-Western art in museums and I value your opinion as a professional who works with non-Western collections. I am researching the ethics of display of non-Western artifacts in anthropology and art museums as well as what changes/trends are taking place in these exhibits. I know your time is valuable and therefore this questionnaire is as brief as possible. Your helpful suggestions will be credited to you, unless you specify that you prefer your comments to remain anonymous. Please feel free to contact me off-list with your responses: [log in to unmask] Thank you again for your time. Sincerely, Harmony Simmons. Your Name: Title: Institution: Anthropology Section, Stellenbosch University Museum Address: 52 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch Phone/E-mail:[log in to unmask] May I credit your responses in the thesis? - as Anthropology Section PREFATORY NOTE: The following response to your questionnaire pertains strictly to the anthropological collection and displays of the University Museum, and NOT to those objects variously regarded as examples of 'African/primitive/esoteric/non-Western art' in the Museum's art collection. The latter circumstance is the result of an 'art' bequest to the University Museum, and in no way reflects the view of the Anthropology Section of the Museum. 1. What is the curatorial area of your Permanent display(s) of non-Western art? _____ Continental Africa _____ Asia ______Pacific rim/islands ____ Native American Other:_______________________________ ANSWERS 1 & 2. The Anthropology Section neither collects nor displays Eurocentric misconceptions such a "non-Western art". The anthropological collection itself is an African collection with a pronounced Southern African focus. The displays reflect this bias. Some displays are more 'permanent' than others, for curatorial reasons, as well as for reasons related to the considerations mentioned in 3. below. The life span of the less 'permanent' displays average, say, 5 years. 2. What is the average life span of the 'permanent' display in your department? ____ 5 years or less ____ 5-7 years ____ 7-10 years ____ more than 10 years When was your permanent display last updated?_____ 3. Does your department organize objects in cases according to: ___ type, ____material, ____use or function, ____region, or _____maker in its permanent displays? How are these rearranged or updated? ANSWER 3. Display themes vary, and are consciously varied. This is mainly determined by the potential of the collection, and by regional and topical considerations. Accordingly, various criteria are applied in the mounting of displays, e.g. medium, function, geographic and ethnic provenance, fields of activity, techniques and technological processes, institutional types and characteristics, comparative features, stylistic uniformity/continuity/variation/change, etc. Often, several criteria are combined in the same display, depending on the theme concerned. 4. Does your department write the labels for your permanent display? Do the labels include any of the following? ___First Person, ___Third Person, ___References for information given, ___Author of label, ___Other, please list How often are the labels updated in your department? ANSWER 4. Display labels and explanatory texts are written by ourselves, i.e. the Anthropology Section. While these follow the conventions of ethnographic writing, technical (anthropological and vernacular) terms/concepts are appropriately circumscribed. Source references for information given, are indicated when dealing with instances/aspects beyond our own expertise - sources permitting, that is: not all African societies have yet been studied, and those that have, not necessarily adequately so for specifically museum purposes. 5. Does your collection include contemporary works from the cultures/countries you exhibit? ___yes ___no If not, can you indicate the reason(s)? ___institutional collections policy, ___lack of materials available ___monetary constraints ___other reason(s):_________________________________ ANSWER 5. What exactly is meant by the inclusion (or otherwise) of "contemporary works from the cultures/countries" exhibited? Barring philosophical musings or metaphysical notions about life and the cosmos as art, anthropological artefacts are not classifiable on a par with art/art works in the Western sense of the term. Nor are they collectable along the same lines (e.g. on the basis of conventionally recognised or standardised stylistic periods) or obtainable in the same way. Such artefacts are ideally collected in the field in an ethically acceptable manner, and professionally contextualised. And as such, they reflect the ecological, social and cultural condition of a given society at a given time in a given region/locality/environment. This follows from the fact that anthropological artefacts form part of the material systems of the societies concerned. Furthermore, it is virtually impossible to collect the full range of objects comprising the material system of any society. It is even more impossible to every so often 'harvest' the same society in order to be able to constantly present contemporary objects from that society (should something of this nature be ethically tenable). The problematic expressed by these general remarks (which also serve to reiterate the fundamental ontological distinction between anthropological artefacts and art/art works) is compounded by the contemporary African reality. African societies are currently swept by radical (= destructive?) change on all levels, ecologically, materially, socially and culturally, due to, inter alia, accelerating local and regional conflict, land encroachment, "upliftment" and "development", and urbanisation. Consequently, many type objects are no longer produced and used, and thus unobtainable. It has become financially prohibitive to launch research and collecting expeditions, given the widely flung ethno-geographic sources of our collection. Security risks are undoubtedly also involved. Obviously, this is not to deny the legitimacy, and validity, of the scientific brief to account for change. But how are stylistic changes in, for example, carving, beadwork and dress, symbolic changes in ceremony and ritual, social structural change, etc. To be ascertained and studied other than by intensive, emically sensitive fieldwork? And how are stylistically contemporary objects to be differentiated and understood if these and many other prior and contextually crucial questions are not answered? In contemporary Africa, the urgent priority is to salvage (to be clearly distinguished from the present cultural rape and plunder for commercial purposes and personal gain). One is indeed fortunate if, in this context of turmoil, transformation and profiteering, you have comparable type objects from different verifiable time periods in the evolution of the same society. It is readily possible to reflect change due to the impact of the (Western) cash economy, in the form of a veritable plethora of objects produced expressly for commercial purposes, particularly the tourist trade. This warrants a study in itself. However, the question remains: what is the status of the objects contemporarily used by people under the conditions of escalating change? An adequate answer demands field research, of which monetary constraints do not permit the (academic) Anthropology Department at this University has, in fact, been closed). The various ethno-geographic components of our collection respectively date from the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, etc. Given the aforesaid problems, we do, however, endeavour to procure items to meaningfully complement individual components. This is done on a highly selective and verifiable basis. And on this basis we have in mind both the need to salvage, and the need to reflect variation and change at a deeper level than that solely represented by tourist items. 6. Do you or does your institution typically consult or collaborate with the communities that are related to your collection? ___no ___yes (please list communities and collaborative efforts). ANSWER 6 & 7 Individuals with expert knowledge, whether they are members of the ethno-geographic groups represented in the collection and displays or not, are consulted for advice and information. 7. How does consultation or collaboration take place? ____ guest curators _____speaking with members of the communities ____ creation of community advisory boards _____other outreach into the communities, please indicate:__________________________________________ ANSWER 8, 9 & 10 Fundamentally, Anthropology understands/explains by means of contextualisation. Our explanatory texts emphasise context. The same applies to the walkabouts conducted by staff members for visitors. Approached thus, our displays of, for instance, ceremonial and ritual objects are rarely problematic. We emphatically do not regard ourselves as "teachers" of religion. We are very sensitive to the fact that we are members of a highly plural society, demographically, ethnically, racially, linguistically and culturally. We aim to assist people to recognise the complexity of the universal phenomenon of man, to recognise human unity and dignity in the anthropological diversity, and to generate, through understanding, tolerance and respect for institutions/systems/values/beliefs/norms/material expressions different from their own. In short, we wish to foster appreciation for the human and cultural integrity of the other. Surely, this is the essence of the anthropological 'message'? 8. When displaying objects related to religious or spiritual beliefs, does your department give background information regarding the religion or practice? ___yes ___no If so, in what format(s)? ____ extensive labels, ___didactic wall text, ____ other printed exhibit materials, ____ films/videos, ____ performances, ___ speakers or docents from the community, other:___________ 9. Can or should museums act as objective teachers with regard to religion when displaying artifacts? If so, how? 10. Do you have any helpful suggestions for the museum profession for the display of religious objects? 11. Please list suggestions for any of the above topics that you may have, or practices which have proven useful in your experiences. ANSWER 11 The foregoing is not an exhaustive treatment of the issues you raise. Perforce paradigmatically presented, the comments are hopefully of some use to you. Thank you again for your time, Harmony Simmons. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Spot the hottest trends in music, movies, and more. http://buzz.yahoo.com/ ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . 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