A Look Into the Ethics of Art Acquisition and Presentation

Welcome to the online exhibition of objects collected by my late grandmother, Kathleen Ellett, along her many travels throughout the world.

Confronting the Past

The Problem with Museums

The main issue with museums today is confronting their history and foundations in colonization and looting. Most encyclopedic and world famous museums; the British Museum, MET, MoMA, Smithsonian, Louvre, and more, owe large portions of their collections to countries they once colonized or people they systematically oppressed. Neither the issue nor the solution are simple, though. Some artifact’s owe their survival to the fact that they were looted, and many were either unknown or uncared for by the local people in which it came from. In most cases however, cultural artifacts and prized goods were stolen from the conquered peoples who were systematically oppressed.

What can be done?

Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as putting it back where you found it. It is usually very difficult to pinpoint an object's found context if it was dug up centuries ago, or multiple groups claim ownership. The question of "who owns what?" is one of the main obstacles to restitution, so it has to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

In the case of Native American communities, it has been reported that despite the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, "more than 116,000 Native American human remains" are still located in museums or institutions (GAO). This is because institutions argue that the research process required to prove cultural affiliation is too expensive and time-consuming, so repatriation efforts- the returning of excavated human remains to the ancestral groups in which they belong to- have been few and far between. 

Additionally, though some collections may have been obtained "legally" that does not always mean they were obtained ethically. One example of this is the "Elgin Marbles," which were taken from the Parthenon's Frieze program in Athens during the early 19th century, as allowed by the Ottoman government that was in control of Greece at the time. That being said, the original deed that gave permission to Thomas Bruce no longer exists, as is the case with the Ottoman Empire. So, the question is: should the British Museum return the frieze program to Greece? Robert Michel, director of the Institute of Digital Archaeology, produced exact replicas of the sculpture program, with the same material and even the same cracks and damages, to give to the British Museum to display, so the originals can be returned to Athens. The British Museum refused of course, arguing that people go to the museum to see the original, not a copy, but the replicas are still an incredible feat of digital archaeology, and are a testament to the future of restitution. 

It is my hope that while you browse through my website you are able to find an appreciation for the "copy," and are able to learn about new and different cultures without taking from them. 

As recorded in her travel journal, my grandmother ventured all the way to Mérida, Mexico to see the great cities of the Ancient Maya, and was fascinated by the copies of the Dresden Codices. The codices, of which only four originals have survived, are books written in ancient Mayan and contain stories of their history and mythology. Only one currently resides in Mexico, the other three are named after the European cities in which they were taken to: Madrid, Paris, and Dresden. There were more, but during the 16th century European missionaries burned the others in an attempt to suppress indigenous culture and religion. So today, the descendants of the Mayans only own copies of their history, while museums in Europe showcase and treasure the originals, despite their past cruelty towards the indigenous people of Mesoamerica. This is not the case for only Mesoamerican people. European states claimed colonies all over the world, and their past actions are still heavily felt in those places today. It is not only necessary for museums to return these objects, but also acknowledge their history, as uncomfortable as it may be.

My Project

An online exhibition consisting of interactive object models. I have always loved visiting museums, and I truly believe they are important educational centers, but I also cannot ignore their history rooted in colonization and white supremist agendas. So, with my project I hope to encourage discussion of these issues, and pose possible solutions to the obstacles that confront restitution today. Digital exhibitions may not feel as impactful as seeing exhibit in real-life, but in this digital age they are widely more accessible to people who are unable to travel, and can be just as educational. In respect to copies, I understand that they may not be as impressive as the object that has survived the test of time, but a museum's duty should be to teach, not to flaunt wealth. Depending on their accuracy, a copy can exemplify just as much artistic skill as an original, if we change our outlook on them.

Sources and further reading recommendations:

Adam, Karla. 2022. “Elgin marbles: Are robot-carved replicas a solution for the British Museum?” The Washington Post.

Government Accountability Organization. 2022. “Efforts to Protect and Repatriate Native American Cultural Items and Human Remains.” GAO.

Leventhal, Richard M., and Brian I. Daniels. 2013. “‘Orphaned Objects,’ Ethical Standards, and the Acquisition of Antiquities.” Journal of Art, Technology & Intellectual Property Law 23 (2): 339–61.

Zorich, Zach. 2013. “The Maya Codices.” Archaeology Magazine.