Akira Matsuda and Luisa Mengoni (eds.)
Published by: Ubiquity Press, 2016
The concept of ‘cultural heritage’ has acquired increasing currency in culture, politics and societies in East Asia. However, in spite of a number of research projects in this field, our understanding of how the past and its material expressions have been perceived, conceptualised and experienced in this part of the world, and how these views affect contemporary local practices and notions of identity, particularly in a period of rapid economic development and increasing globalisation, is still very unclear. Preoccupation with cultural heritage – expressed in the rapid growth of national and private museums, the expansion of the antiquities’ market, revitalisation of local traditions, focus on ‘intangible cultural heritage’ and the development of cultural tourism – is something that directly or indirectly affects national policies and international relations. An investigation of how the concept of ‘cultural heritage’ has been and continues to be constructed in East Asia, drawing on several case studies taken from China, Japan and Korea, is thus timely and worthwhile.
This is an Open Access book distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (unless stated otherwise), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Copyright is retained by the author(s).
ISBN: 1909188883 | Published by Ubiquity Press, 2016 | Language: English 136p
About the Editors
Akira Matsuda is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Resources Studies, the University of Tokyo. He earned his PhD in public archaeology at University College London and is an Academic Associate at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures. He serves as the Secretary of the World Archaeological Congress. His research focuses on the meaning, (re)presentation and use of the past in contemporary society.
Luisa Elena Mengoni is Head of the V&A Gallery, Shekou and currently based in Shenzhen, where she coordinates the collaboration between the V&A and China Merchants Shekou. She formerly worked as a curator of Chinese art at the V&A and consultant on heritage projects in China. Holding a PhD in Chinese archaeology from University College London (UCL), she published on identity and ethnicity, Chinese export art and collecting history. Her current research interests focus on new developments of Chinese design and crafts, and the emergence of new museum models and creative hubs in China.
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