Vice World News l The Unfiltered History Tour l Cannes Lions 2022

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24 Jun 202202:08

Summary

TLDRThe video addresses the controversy surrounding artifacts housed in the British Museum, many of which were taken from other cultures, often by force. It highlights objects like the Rosetta Stone and the Gweagal shield, questioning the ethics behind their acquisition. The video explores how these items represent the cultural heritage of their origin countries, evoking a sense of loss and historical injustice. Museums across Europe are beginning to reconsider the display of such artifacts, acknowledging the need for more ethical approaches to presenting history.

Takeaways

🖼️ The British Museum is a public institution in London dedicated to human history, art, and culture, with over 80,000 works from around the world.
🛡️ The Griegel shield, taken from indigenous people, is one of the artifacts on display, raising concerns about the museum’s practices.
🗣️ Some museum collections are based on a narrative of pride in taking artifacts from other cultures, reflecting a colonial mindset.
🗿 The Rosetta Stone, far from being a new discovery by Europeans, was already reused in Egypt and holds cultural significance for Egyptians as a 'living ancestor.'
🏛️ Many important artifacts displayed in Western museums, like the British Museum, are located thousands of miles away from their countries of origin.
📦 The British Museum has been labeled as the world’s largest receiver of stolen goods, sparking debates about the ethics of holding such collections.
🌍 An interactive tour is being launched to explore the most contested artifacts in the museum's collection, prompting reflection on their histories.
📖 Artifacts made in indigenous kingdoms tell their own stories and preserve history, often taken without consent.
⚔️ European powers, particularly Britain and France, competed for control over Egyptian artifacts, often taking them as spoils of war.
🔄 There’s growing recognition that exhibiting items taken by force is problematic, and museums must reconsider how they handle such collections today.

Q & A

What is the British Museum and what is its focus?
-The British Museum is a public institution dedicated to human history, art, and culture, with a collection of over 80,000 works from around the world.
What is the significance of the Griegel shield mentioned in the transcript?
-The Griegel shield, displayed at the British Museum, was taken from indigenous people, symbolizing how artifacts from colonized cultures were removed by foreign powers.
What does the statement 'I'm proud of what my grandfathers stole from yours' imply?
-The statement reflects a critical view on how colonial powers took cultural treasures from other civilizations, highlighting the exploitative nature of these actions.
Why is the Rosetta Stone referred to as not being a discovery by the French or British?
-The transcript explains that the Rosetta Stone was already discovered and used in Egypt multiple times, implying that neither the French nor the British can claim it as their own 'discovery.'
How do Egyptians view the Rosetta Stone, according to the transcript?
-For Egyptians, the Rosetta Stone is not just a historical artifact but a 'living ancestor,' reflecting its deep cultural and historical significance.
What critique does the transcript make about the British Museum's collections?
-The British Museum is described as 'the world's largest receiver of stolen goods,' critiquing the institution for holding artifacts that were taken by force from other countries.
What is the purpose of the interactive tour mentioned in the transcript?
-The interactive tour aims to showcase some of the most contested artifacts in the British Museum, highlighting the controversies surrounding their acquisition.
How does the transcript describe the rivalry between two foreign powers in Egypt?
-The rivalry between two foreign powers in Egypt is described as one power defeating the other and taking the spoils of the other, which reflects the colonial competition for resources and cultural artifacts.
What emotions are expressed by the speaker regarding the history of British colonialism?
-The speaker expresses a deep sense of shame about Britain's colonial past, acknowledging how Britain 'went around the world and took what we wanted.'
How are European museums currently addressing the issue of contested artifacts?
-European museums are slowly realizing that exhibiting items taken by force hundreds of years ago is inappropriate, and they are reconsidering how to engage with these contested artifacts.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Introduction to the British Museum and its Collections

This paragraph introduces the British Museum, describing it as a public institution in London that showcases over 80,000 works related to human history, art, and culture. The paragraph invites visitors to explore its diverse global collections.

🛡️ The Griegel Shield and Colonialism

This segment highlights the Griegel Shield, which was taken during Captain James Cook's expeditions. It reflects on the colonial nature of museum collections, as it was taken from the speaker’s ancestors. The shield's acquisition raises questions about the ethics of such collections.

🗿 The Rosetta Stone: A Living Ancestor

The paragraph addresses the Rosetta Stone, explaining that it was not discovered by the French or British but was repurposed multiple times in Egypt. It emphasizes the significance of the stone to Egyptian culture, viewing it as a 'living ancestor' rather than just an artifact.

🌍 The British Museum's Contested Artifacts

This section discusses the British Museum's controversial role as the largest holder of contested artifacts, with a particular focus on stolen goods. It introduces the launch of an interactive tour that aims to explore the stories behind some of the museum's most disputed items.

📜 The Kingdom's History Through Artifacts

Here, the paragraph emphasizes that each object made within a kingdom holds a story and serves as a means to preserve history. The narrative underlines the importance of artifacts in representing and maintaining cultural heritage.

⚔️ Rivalry Over Egypt and Colonial Exploitation

This section reflects on the rivalry between foreign powers over Egypt. It touches on how the victors in these conflicts often took the spoils of the losing side, providing a personal reflection on the imbalanced narratives and shameful history of exploitation.

🤝 Reassessing the Ethics of Museums

Museums in Europe, including the British Museum, are beginning to recognize the moral implications of displaying items taken by force centuries ago. The paragraph concludes with a call to reframe how we engage with the past, acknowledging that while the past cannot be changed, the present approach to it can be.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡British Museum

The British Museum is a public institution in London dedicated to human history, art, and culture. The video highlights the museum as a repository of thousands of artifacts from around the world. However, it raises the issue that many of these items were taken by force during colonial times, sparking debates about ownership and cultural heritage.

💡Contested Artifacts

These are objects or cultural items whose ownership and display are disputed, often because they were acquired through colonialism, theft, or conflict. The video refers to several contested artifacts in the British Museum, such as the Rosetta Stone and the Griegel Shield, emphasizing calls for their repatriation to their countries of origin.

💡Griegel Shield

The Griegel Shield is an artifact taken from an indigenous people, specifically referenced as part of Captain James Cook’s acquisitions during British explorations. Its display in the British Museum symbolizes the broader debate over the ethics of displaying objects that were taken without consent from indigenous cultures.

💡Captain James Cook

A British explorer and navigator known for his voyages across the Pacific Ocean, during which he claimed territories and acquired cultural items, often through force. In the video, Cook is connected to the Griegel Shield, representing how European explorers often plundered artifacts from indigenous people.

💡Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian artifact that was key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. The video points out that it was not 'discovered' by the French or British, but rather was a part of Egypt's history long before. The Rosetta Stone serves as an example of how colonial powers often took important cultural items and presented them as discoveries.

💡Repatriation

Repatriation refers to the return of cultural artifacts to their country or culture of origin. The video touches on the growing movement for museums to return stolen or contested artifacts, such as those in the British Museum, to the nations from which they were taken, acknowledging the harm done by colonialism.

💡Colonialism

Colonialism is the practice of acquiring full or partial control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. The video critiques how many of the artifacts in the British Museum were obtained during colonial times, highlighting the unethical methods of acquisition and the impact on the cultures from which the items were taken.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes inherited from past generations. The video underscores the importance of these artifacts to the cultures they originate from, contrasting the historical significance they hold for their native peoples with how they are often viewed as mere objects in Western museums.

💡Historical Narrative

Historical narrative refers to the way history is presented or told, often from the perspective of those in power. The video highlights the skewed narrative that museums like the British Museum perpetuate, by presenting items like the Rosetta Stone as European discoveries, while ignoring the deeper cultural significance and histories of the originating countries.

💡Cultural Erasure

Cultural erasure is the process through which the culture of a marginalized group is systematically diminished or ignored. The video addresses this by showing how the removal of artifacts from their original contexts, such as those in the British Museum, can contribute to erasing the cultural narratives and identities of the peoples to whom these artifacts belong.

Highlights

The British Museum is dedicated to human history, art, and culture with over 80,000 works from around the world.

The Griegel shield, viewed as a significant artifact, was taken from indigenous people and displayed in the museum.

The British Museum's collections are criticized for being premised on taking items from other cultures by force.

The Rosetta Stone was not a discovery by the British or the French; it was reused multiple times in Egypt.

For Egyptians, the Rosetta Stone is not just a historical artifact but a living ancestor.

The British Museum displays important statues and artifacts thousands of miles away from their origins.

Critics argue that the British Museum is the world's largest receiver of stolen goods.

An interactive tour is launching to showcase some of the British Museum's most contested artifacts.

Every object made in ancient kingdoms carried a story, and that is how their history was passed down.

The rivalry between two foreign powers in Egypt led to one dominating and taking valuable artifacts from the other.

The narrative provided in many museum exhibits feels unbalanced, focusing on the perspective of colonizers.

There is a growing realization among European museums that exhibiting items taken by force from other cultures is morally questionable.

European museums cannot change the past but can change how they engage with the history and the artifacts they display.

A deep sense of shame is expressed for the historical actions of European powers that 'went around the world and took what they wanted.'

The ethical debate over returning stolen artifacts is becoming more prominent in the museum world, particularly in Europe.