Kunst kann nicht nur in Bezug auf ihre Schönheit und Handwerkskunst wahrgenommen werden. Sie müssen es auch im Lichte seiner politischen Botschaften bewerten.
(Art cannot solely be perceived in regard to its beauty and craftsmanship. You also have to evaluate it in light of its political messages.)
______________________________________
Nah... That wasn't Dr. Goebbels speaking. I just slapped his photo above the German translation of a statement made a few days ago by one Max Hollein, the new director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.*
I now look forward to a book-burning rally to be organized by the the New York Public Library in the near future.
____________________
* "At the Entrenched Met Museum, the New Director Shakes Things Up", New York Times, 20 November 2019.
3 comments:
Like you, I’m not sympathetic to those kinds of statements. But put almost any quote below a picture of a Nazi and you’ll give it a sinister interpretation. Imagine how it would be construed if you’d kept it in English and used an image of President Trump instead so it would be seen as an attack on him. Indeed, isn’t this kind of conjunction of image and quote the kind of propaganda Dr. Geobbels specialised in.
Colin,
Nothing can make this statement more sinister than it already is.
My 'framing' of the statement is only a reminder of its 'family resemblance' to totalitarian slogans favored by Communist and Nazi regimes. Since I already used Stalin's image in an a recent post, this time it was Goebbels' turn.
Yes, but context matters. I really don’t think Mr. Hollein’s message can be regarded as having a totalitarian motive. He may be concerned with ticking all the right boxes for what passes for some as enlightened thinking, and this could result in the poor presentation of some exhibits and not very good shows, but it’s unlikely to amount to much more than that. The Met doesn’t really resemble Nazi Germany or Stalin’s Soviet Union in any meaningful way. And as Neil MacGregor has shown, objects do have a story to tell and sometimes it is political. Like many things, it can be done well or badly.
Post a Comment