Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates the veracity of applying a cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary approach to the preservation of Indigenous cultural material in museums; and highlights the way in which the significance of two bark paintings shifted as a consequence of this dialogue.

Paper long abstract:

This paper focuses on a project at Museum Victoria that sought to test the efficacy of applying a cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary research model, one well-embedded in curatorial practice, to the conservation of Indigenous cultural heritage collections. The primary question was to make a decision as to culturally appropriate treatments for two Gupapuyngu clan paintings from Arnhem Land - not just whether they should be conserved or how but whether they should be preserved at all. The approach was to bring key Gupapuyngu elders together with the conservator and curator and draw together the skills and knowledge and perspectives of all three parties.

The project established an environment for informed decision making regarding the future of these paintings, one that was based on a more nuanced understanding of the importance of these historically and culturally. While the works might be considered to have limited relevance given their condition and the fact the detailed designs continue to be perpetuated by Gupapuyngu artists, a detailed examination of the works together with close interrogation of associated records resulted in the recovery of the context of their creation and a remarkable elevation of their significance. This paper discusses the efficacy of such an approach not just for the preservation of Indigenous cultural material but for revealing the potential of research on what are often disregarded as "hollow remnants" of the colonial past and the capacity to ensure their relevance into the future.