The Arts Past and Present: the Benin Bronzes - for iPad/Mac/PC

Are ancient sculptures ethnographic artefacts or works of art? How can objects like these throw light on the relationship of our culture to other cultures, both in the past and in the present? This album explores some of the issues surrounding interpretation and display of bronze sculptures originating in Benin in West Africa. The video explores the academic dilemmas behind decisions that Western curators have to make about how the pieces should be displayed. In the supporting audio, Open...

Are ancient sculptures ethnographic artefacts or works of art? How can objects like these throw light on the relationship of our culture to other cultures, both in the past and in the present? This album explores some of the issues surrounding interpretation and display of bronze sculptures originating in Benin in West Africa. The video explores the academic dilemmas behind decisions that Western curators have to make about how the pieces should be displayed. In the supporting audio, Open University academic Paul Wood unpicks some of the issues arising from the film. This material forms part of The Open University course AA100 The arts past and present.