Open AccessThe Royal Ontario Museum’s Asia-Pacific Collection
Author(s) -
Brittany Myburgh,
Ellen Zhang
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
re:locations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2562-9972
DOI - 10.33137/relocations.v2i1.33464
Subject(s) - exhibition , indigenous , narrative , history , asia pacific , visual arts , geography , southeast asia , anthropology , ethnology , library science , archaeology , media studies , sociology , art , computer science , literature , ecology , biology
The Royal Ontario Museum’s Africa, Americas and Asia-Pacific collection boasts over 1,400 artifacts produced over a span of two thousand years. Located on the third floor of the museum, the collection comprises a range of material from global indigenous cultures. While there are many impressive objects housed within the collection, the amalgamation of these distinct geographic zones raises problems in the exhibition and display of these cultural artifacts. The singular nature of the narrative currently presented is the subject of this exhibition critique. We argue that an updated Asia-Pacific narrative inclusive of contemporary history would better reflect the complex history of local culture and artistic practice.