Capitalism and Reproduction in the New Museology: The Power Discourses about Chinese Cultural Heritage at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Abstract

This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the nexus between Chinese cultural heritage conservation and promotion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is globally well-known and the largest art museum in the United States. Although the museum has collected, restored, and exhibited foreign cultural heritage in its halls to promote social and cultural development, there are potential risks when the museum hosts events and social activities in the midst of its collections. Therefore, this article interprets these commercial debates through the conceptual lenses of capitalism and cultural and mechanical reproduction in the new museology. To these ends, this article draws on the voices of figures from American and Chinese media and academia to understand how these art stakeholders view the debates about commerce regarding the museum’s Chinese cultural heritage. Overall, this article investigates the Met’s Chinese cultural heritage conservation and promotion, analyses the roles of the conservation laboratory and promotion programs, and interprets issues involved in special mega-events and the value of foreign cultural relics.

Keywords:

• Cultural heritage conservation
• cultural relic protection
• fashion show
• Chinese arts
• cultural reproduction
• mechanical reproduction

Acknowledgement

We are thankful to Dr. Suzanne Write in the School of Art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her scholarly advice, encouragement, and emotional support significantly helped us complete this research project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The official website informs specific events, coasts, and benefits: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2000-2019. “Host an Event.” Accessed July 3, 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/join-and-give/host-an-event

2 The authors additionally visited diverse museums including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, High Museum in Atlanta, the Parthenon at Vanderbilt University, Knoxville Museum of Art, and so on.

3 Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2015. “Mission Statement.” Accessed July 3, 2019. http://www.metmuseum.org/-/media/files/about-the-met/annual-reports/2014-2015/annual-report-2015-mission-statement.pdf

4 The Guansheng Temple is a Buddhist temple in Shanxi province, China. The temple was established EC 147 during the Han (漢). http://en.chinaculture.org/library/2008-02/15/content_34504.htm; Xu, J., 2015. 议论|纽约大都会博物馆的时装展, 对中国文物的伤害有多大? [Discussion: How Much Damage Does Chinese Cultural Relics Have to the Fashion Show at the Metropolitan Museum of New York?] 澎湃新闻 [The Paper]. Accessed July, 5 2019. http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1329929

5 Li, X., 2015. “‘Mirror Flower Water Moon’ Exhibition ‘Hazardous Cultural Relics’ Question-Natural Light Filter Out UV.” The People, May 26. Accessed April 3, 2020. http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/0526/c1002-27054819.html

6 Taira, K. 2017. “ECPN Interviews: East Asian Art Conservation.” In AIC Blog (Archived). Accessed July 6, 2019. http://www.conservators-converse.org/2017/11/ecpn-interviews-east-asian-art-conservation-5/

7 The official website informs specific events, coasts, and benefits: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2000-2019. “Host an Event.” Accessed July 3, 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/join-and-give/host-an-event

8 Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2019. “Report from the Chief Financial Officer.” Accessed May 13, 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/-/media/files/about-the-met/annual-reports/2018-2019/report-from-the-chief-financial-officer-annual-report-2018-19.pdf?la=en&hash=03933FB4CDC8FEA67C77322DFF901740

9 The official website of the Met described the exhibition overview and the media coverages. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/china-through-the-looking-glass; Silberstein, R. 2015. “Review of China: Through the Looking Glass.” College of Art Association. Accessed July 15, 2019. http://caareviews.org/reviews/2755#.Xb84g-hKiUk

10 Graustark, B., 2015. “Met Announces Extended Hours for Chinese Fashion Show.” The New York Times, August 27. Accessed July 5, 2019. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/met-announces-extended-hours-for-chinese-fashion-show/?searchResultPosition=3; Kennedy, R., 2015. “Met Extends Show on China’s Fashion Influence.” The New York Times, June 30. Accessed July 5, 2019. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/met-extends-show-on-chinas-fashion-influence/?searchResultPosition=1

11 The Guansheng Temple is a Buddhist temple in Shanxi province, China. The temple was established EC 147 during the Han (漢). http://en.chinaculture.org/library/2008-02/15/content_34504.htm; Xu, J., 2015. 议论|纽约大都会博物馆的时装展, 对中国文物的伤害有多大? [Discussion: How Much Damage Does Chinese Cultural Relics Have to the Fashion Show at the Metropolitan Museum of New York?] 澎湃新闻 [The Paper]. Accessed July 5, 2019. http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1329929

12 Li, X., 2015. “‘Mirror Flower Water Moon’ Exhibition ‘Hazardous Cultural Relics’ Question-Natural Light Filter Out UV.” The People, May 26. Accessed April 3, 2020. http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/0526/c1002-27054819.html

13 Meyer, K.E. 2015. “The Chinese Want Their Art Back.” New York Times, June 20. Accessed August 17. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/the-chinese-want-their-art-back.html; Palmer, A. W. 2018. “Once Plundered by Colonialists, Chinese Art is Being Stolen Back.” WBUR (NPR Boston). Accessed August 17. http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/08/28/chinese-art-theft

14 The official website of the Met informed the media coverages. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/china-through-the-looking-glass; There are additional examples of the coverage: Graustark, B., 2015. “Met Announces Extended Hours for Chinese Fashion Show.” The New York Times, August, 27. Accessed July 5, 2019. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/met-announces-extended-hours-for-chinese-fashion-show/?searchResultPosition=3; Kennedy, R., 2015. “Met Extends Show on China’s Fashion Influence.” The New York Times, June 30. Accessed July 5, 2019. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/met-extends-show-on-chinas-fashion-influence/?searchResultPosition=1; Li, X., 2015. “‘Mirror Flower Water Moon’ Exhibition ‘Hazardous Cultural Relics’ Question-Natural Light Filter Out UV.” The People, May 26. Accessed April 3, 2020. http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/0526/c1002-27054819.html; Lee, S. 2018. “Re-Discussion on the Exhibition ‘China: Mirror Flowers and Water Moon’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.” Art China, November 8. Accessed April 3, 2020. http://art.china.cn/exclusive/2018-11/08/content_40560558.htm