What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts

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dc.contributor.advisorTietze, Anna ; Martin, Marilynen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBarben, Marc Walteren_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-07T11:00:20Z
dc.date.available2015-08-07T11:00:20Z
dc.date.issued2015en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractWhile much has been written on the European display of non - western art and artefact collected from their colonies in Africa, less has been documented about the European settler arts institutions, like the South African National Gallery (SANG), whose distant location away from the imperial centre initially presented particular challenges. In South Africa, since colonialism, these challenges have been expanded by settler nationalisms, a racially oppressive regime, a liberation movement, and a relatively peaceful transition to a democracy. In its form and its function, the SANG has reflected the redefined nationalisms that accompanied these historical moments. In light of the global history of national galleries and more recent theoretical discussions about cultural institutions, this study probes the complex layering of histories evidenced in collection and exhibition practices at the SANG in its historical contexts. Historically South African galleries have reflected colonial and later apartheid ideologies. With the transition to a democratic society in 1994, the ‘new’ South Africa ushered in a radically redefined national identity. If national collections reflect the nations to which they belong, this study questions the SANG’s ability in reflecting successive redefinitions of South African nationhood, and its adaptability in meeting shifting social and political requirements. By examining shifts in collections and display practices and policies, in the SANG’s historical contexts, this paper ultimately asks the question: What does it mean to be a ‘national’ gallery when the notions of ‘nation’ transform radically?en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBarben, M. W. (2015). <i>What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Michaelis School of Fine Art. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13650en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBarben, Marc Walter. <i>"What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Michaelis School of Fine Art, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13650en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBarben, M. 2015. What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Barben, Marc Walter AB - While much has been written on the European display of non - western art and artefact collected from their colonies in Africa, less has been documented about the European settler arts institutions, like the South African National Gallery (SANG), whose distant location away from the imperial centre initially presented particular challenges. In South Africa, since colonialism, these challenges have been expanded by settler nationalisms, a racially oppressive regime, a liberation movement, and a relatively peaceful transition to a democracy. In its form and its function, the SANG has reflected the redefined nationalisms that accompanied these historical moments. In light of the global history of national galleries and more recent theoretical discussions about cultural institutions, this study probes the complex layering of histories evidenced in collection and exhibition practices at the SANG in its historical contexts. Historically South African galleries have reflected colonial and later apartheid ideologies. With the transition to a democratic society in 1994, the ‘new’ South Africa ushered in a radically redefined national identity. If national collections reflect the nations to which they belong, this study questions the SANG’s ability in reflecting successive redefinitions of South African nationhood, and its adaptability in meeting shifting social and political requirements. By examining shifts in collections and display practices and policies, in the SANG’s historical contexts, this paper ultimately asks the question: What does it mean to be a ‘national’ gallery when the notions of ‘nation’ transform radically? DA - 2015 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2015 T1 - What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts TI - What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13650 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13650
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBarben MW. What does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contexts. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Michaelis School of Fine Art, 2015 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13650en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentMichaelis School of Fine Arten_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherArt Historical Studiesen_ZA
dc.titleWhat does it mean to be a 'national' gallery when the notions of 'nation' transform radically?: An analysis of the Iziko South African National Gallery's practices and policies in historical contextsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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