Does LACMA Have a Looted Art Problem?
Does LACMA Have a Looted Art Problem?
Hollywood helped the institution build a world-class Asian art collection. But with scholars raising questions about the origins of some priceless works, curators are wondering how much they’ll have to send back: "You’re asking the fox to declare the henhouse is safe."
The article discusses concerns regarding the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and its collection of potentially looted art, particularly focusing on Nepalese artifacts. It highlights the case of a 12th-century Nepalese Buddha sculpture recently identified as stolen, which led to its repatriation after being purchased by collector Michael Phillips.
Activists and scholars argue that many items in LACMA's collection may have been illegally removed from their countries of origin, emphasizing the importance of provenance research. LACMA is conducting an internal review of its holdings, but critics note that the museum has not been transparent about its findings or cooperated with legal authorities.
The article also reflects on the broader implications of art repatriation, mentioning that other institutions, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, are proactively examining their collections for provenance issues. Experts express skepticism about museums policing themselves and the challenges involved in determining the rightful ownership of cultural artifacts.
Overall, the piece underscores a growing movement for repatriation and accountability in museum practices regarding art acquisition and display.
american museums can only have looted artefacts. Stolen from either native americans, or foreign countries.
A true “real american” artefact couldn’t be older than 200 years.
Don't many museums have a display trade thing going on, where they cycle some of the displays they aren't using right now to other museums?
There are modern museums that display more contemporary artifacts. While yes, there are plenty of massive museums that house art from many different cultures and time periods. You can't forget the smaller, more focused museums. So they don't "only" hold looted artifacts. I know it's popular to say the US doesn't have it's own culture, but for the past 200 years it certainly has developed some iconic art (Andy Warhol Museum, Norman Rockwell museum) and culture (The Spy Museum, Air and Space Museum). Age isn't the only metric that merits placement in a museum.
Doesn't every large museum have this problem?
In this case, the argument seems pretty cut and dry. The provenance of the item is very important, and it is shocking how many artifacts go 'missing' from one museum's storage only to wind up on display in another.