Being known

Today I listened to a speaker talk about indigenous art and scholarship, and the inherent exoticization of the process. Her points regarding agency and consent are so interesting. And how the museum is a limited vehicle for preservation of cultures which come from an entirely different framework (different from the culture of the typically Eurocentric museum).

My thoughts are mostly from a psychology viewpoint. I contend that people want to be known. That many outgroups want to be accepted and understood by others, by the ingroup. She is starting from the premise that indigenous cultures have been exploited and misrepresented, so they are more than cautious, they are trying to protect themselves. Where is that line? (She thinks exotic is a negative term, but I see it more as neutral because human brains are designed to see others as different. It's more the way a person reacts to difference that matters, which is maybe what she means by exoticization.) She says there is a conversation (in critical theory circles) about whether indigenous culture CAN be known. Of course not, not in the sense that she means. She notes that one way of knowing cannot be (truly) understood via another way of knowing. I accept that. But then why display your art at all or write scholarly papers or attend conferences? It's necessary to be clear what the goal is. Not perfect understanding, of course. But a level of knowing and appreciation is possible and desirable.

I think Jews have definitely been exoticized, and also been targeted and scapegoated. I think we have a complex relationship with being known. Like Native Americans, we want to be seen and appreciated and valued and acknowledged, but have reasonable concerns about protecting ourselves as well.

I would have liked to pose a question about this, but my colleague had registered for the webinar, not me, so I didn't have access to the chat, plus it was lunch time and we had another meeting right after, so I didn't feel like I could press for the time and space to get into the discussion, unfortunately.