Decolonizing Cham Sculptures as Art: From Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Revitalization
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: The Cham people, who are indigenous to present-day Vietnam, are often viewed as extinct.This is especially apparent when we consider the presentation of Cham sculptures as artwork in numerous museums worldwide.Cham sculptures, which are primarily based on Hindu and Buddhist depictions, are not presented as religious or spiritual cultural objects but as art.By displaying these cultural objects as art, it takes away the intended spiritual and cultural values and places the priority on the tourist gaze.Additionally, French and Vietnamese museums have come to culturally appropriate Cham cultural objects as part of their own respective colonial or cultural histories.This paper profiles several museums worldwide that have retained Cham cultural objects, discusses ways to decolonize these museums and exhibits, and offers some insight into revitalizing contemporary Cham culture.
Author: Marimas Hosan Mostiller
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2592897113