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Question and Answer Tracking Details

276 - ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ARTISTIC TREASURES

Hornery, Sonia to the Premier representing the Special Minister of State, Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts, Vice-President of the Executive Council

Have cultural institutions in New South Wales played any role in preserving archaeological and artistic treasures from the Middle East during recent conflicts?

 
Answer -

I am advised:

The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences is in the process of acquiring a 3D printed sculpture, 'King Uthal', designed and created by the Iranian born American artist Morehshin Allahyari in 2016. It is one of 12 objects from the 'Material Speculation: ISIS' series produced in 2015 - 2016. This object is a digital fabrication which resembles, as closely as possible, the 'real' King Uthal sculpture destroyed by ISIS forces in 2015 as part of a program which claimed it sought to erase statues and figures that promote idolatry.

In 2014, the Art Gallery of New South Wales hosted Afghanistan: hidden treasures from the National Museum, Kabul, an exhibition of ancient artefacts that had been hidden by museum staff in Kabul to protect them from bombs, looters and a Taliban decree to destroy all 'idolatrous' images. The exhibition featured art and cultural treasures spanning a period from 2200BCE to 200CE and derived from important Silk Road archaeological sites.

 

Question asked on 30 May 2019 (session 57-1) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 6
Answer received on 4 July 2019 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 13

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.