Unpicking Inheritance
Mauk van Emmerik
This project concentrates on inherited colonial objects. It departs from my experience of inheriting objects from the colonial past. From the personal I move to a larger current discussion surrounding calls for museums to repatriate looted objects.
The Council of Culture (of The Netherlands) has published an advisory document, in which they also acknowledge the wrongdoing of our country in colonial times. In it they encourage the minister of culture (Ingrid van Engelshoven) to show an unconditional willingness to repatriate all looted objects from the colonial period. Through the perspective of a grandson inheriting colonial objects from his grandfather, I will document my personal experience in dealing with my colonial inheritance. In doing so I ask, how can giving back looted objects of art contribute to the process of healing colonial wounds?This documentation is the result of learning to listen to cultural objects and their stories, to exploring what I can do to right possible wrongs, and perhaps aid in the process of healing colonial wounds.
From the research and the documentation of my own process, I will make an archival book, which will impact the way we think of our personal cultural heritage.This project will highlight the importance of caring for our inherited colonial history, doing so, to show that this means caring for our future as well.
Unpicking Inheritance
Mauk van Emmerik
This project concentrates on inherited colonial objects. It departs from my experience of inheriting objects from the colonial past. From the personal I move to a larger current discussion surrounding calls for museums to repatriate looted objects.
The Council of Culture (of The Netherlands) has published an advisory document, in which they also acknowledge the wrongdoing of our country in colonial times. In it they encourage the minister of culture (Ingrid van Engelshoven) to show an unconditional willingness to repatriate all looted objects from the colonial period. Through the perspective of a grandson inheriting colonial objects from his grandfather, I will document my personal experience in dealing with my colonial inheritance. In doing so I ask, how can giving back looted objects of art contribute to the process of healing colonial wounds?This documentation is the result of learning to listen to cultural objects and their stories, to exploring what I can do to right possible wrongs, and perhaps aid in the process of healing colonial wounds.
From the research and the documentation of my own process, I will make an archival book, which will impact the way we think of our personal cultural heritage.This project will highlight the importance of caring for our inherited colonial history, doing so, to show that this means caring for our future as well.
