Ensuring Culture Is Not Lost In Translation
H
AVE YOU EVER QUESTIONED IF THE transference of culture from its original origin can be lost in translation at a museum? You step into a well-funded research institution that holds exhibits, telling the story of a culture that is extinct or still exists. I never challenged this thought, because I was raised going to museums through the Cool Culture Program, which focuses on providing low-income NYC families free access to educational opportunities about art and culture. For this reason, I was always excited to enter a museum and explore with awe. Should we be thankful for cultural preservation even though it has been transported from where it is originally from? Can we be cynical and think critically about an institution that is praised for allowing the whole world to be in one place through history and art? To answer these questions, let’s first define the official meaning of what a museum is supposed to be. According to Hyperallergic, an online publication dedicated to rethinking art and culture, a new definition of “museum” was proposed in September of 2019 by the International Council of Museums, also known as ICOM. A more political definition was revised to include “human dignity and social justice,” as opposed to the previous 50 years deifnition of a “non-profit institution” that “acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.” This new definition becomes controversial as it does not justifiably explain the wide diversity of museums specializing in art, history, culture, or science. The Binghamton University Art Museum is no exception. Although it may not be as elaborate and fancy as the Met, it does a decent job of using the resources it has from funds, donations, faculty, and student research. Furthermore, since the art pieces have scripture written in their original languages such as Chinese, Korean, or Japanese, accurate translations from experts are necessary. In addition, accrediting the work properly to the original creator makes the exhibit ethical and legitimate. But what
By Emma Shen about authenticity in the interpretation of the artist’s work, which can get lost in translation literally and figuratively? One student organization that took initiative was the Black Student Union in creating the Black Museum/ Poetry Jam as a political statement out of art for Black History Month. The art pieces came directly from young contemporary black artists who displayed their photography, paintings, and other forms of artistic expression, such as modeling, rapping, dancing and singing. This medium shows that the culture is still alive and thriving with lots of potential. When you see the art directly from the artist, there is an instant connection and authenticity portrayed; you feel the love and closeness that comes from a community and its people. We don’t want to objectify a community by excluding their narrative from a piece of art obtained from their culture. When chosen as a subject to be displayed in an art museum, the history behind the piece must be told in such a way that respects and honors the community. This is accomplished by ascribing cultural significance to a piece and paying tribute to the community. Pieces, thus, should not be purchased out of materialism for the type of style an art piece brings to a room visually as opposed to the historical and cultural meaning behind the piece. Pieces should certainly not be monetized and auctioned because that is when the original purpose of the artistic creation is mistranslated. A disconnect is formed in how the artwork should be appreciated for its authenticity rather than man-made monetary value. One way the University Art Museum tried to honor a culture was by setting up a grand opening, one day before Lunar New Year, for the Winter Exhibit Snowflakes Between the Gauze: Rubbings from the Han Dynasty. The exhibit is filled with orange and black ink rubbings on paper of ancient Chinese mythology from carved stones found from the Han Dynasty (207 BCE-220 CE) tombs in Nanyang City, Henan province, China. As pieces of memorandum by taking ancient stone carvings and replicating on modern rubbings, shows an unique
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