School of Social and Political Sciences - Theses

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    Artifak: the commoditisation, valuation, and authentication of (art) objects in Vanuatu, Southwest Pacific
    DEBLOCK, HUGO ( 2013)
    This thesis investigates the meaning and value of (art) objects as commodities in differing states of transit and transition: in the local place, on the art market, in the museum. It provides an ethnographic account of commoditisation in a context of revitalisation of culture and the arts in Vanuatu, Southwest Pacific, and the complex issues this generates. Commoditisation and revitalisation occur in response to a number of factors, revolving around notions of value and the authenticity and authentication of things. In the thesis, I analyse a number of key questions in relation to these issues, such as the authenticity of production and consumption of art and performance, the emergence of forms of indigenised copyright and copyright claims, and kastom (custom) mistakes and disputes. I situate these issues within the global monetary value system of art markets and museums and argue that this system is increasingly appropriated by local people in Vanuatu. The category of art is becoming increasingly global, tied up with inherent as well as monetary value and the market. Within the gallery and museum setting, I revaluate the local/global contexts of value(s) and discuss contemporary issues such as requests made by local people for the repatriation of their highly valued things of the past. I also revisit the gallery and museum setting and highlight issues of collection, exhibition, trade, theft, and, in local contexts, that of carving for subsistence. Authentication of people and things takes place in revived ritual performances for audiences: by local people for themselves, to attribute value to their revived rituals and objects, as well as for (buying) visitors. The visitors can be collectors and dealers, but it is tourists who buy most artefacts and who are maturing into some sort of experts on their own terms. Things are authenticated by local people for own use by way of dance. They can also be ‘made authentic’, for sale, in a variety of ways. They are considered inauthentic when they are unused, made ‘just for sale’. These are aspects of commoditisation and revitalisation that do not take place in uniform ways. They are dependent upon people’s opinions about culture and the arts. The commoditisation of revived customary art forms is accepted by certain people in certain places and circumstances, and highly disputed in others. Commoditisation and revival are entangled with socio-political and economic values that work on several levels.