What I wish to make
Inspired by Santiago Sierra's work of the veterans standing in the corners of galleries, I would like to create an oil painting that amplifies the voice of the naval gun taken from the Boxer Rebellion. This object that was owned by the Chinese will be seen as kidnapped from its home, transported away to the other side of the world, displayed and shown off to unknown beings until it is eventually placed away in darkness as retirement. We shall never know if this gun will see its birth place ever again.
How?
The naval gun will be the centre piece of the painting with various other objects surrounding it in despair. The painting will be presented in a particular way that makes the viewer feel melancholy/sympathetic for the objects. It shall be in the style of a war painting like they used to make during the wars but with its own twist that keeps the viewer captured. This "twist" is the anthropomorphism/personification of the objects. With the work of Santiago Sierra's work in mind, the gun will be placed specifically to express such a negative emotion in protest of the ownership of these captured items.
The oil painting will be of a fairly big proportion but not too big, roughly around the size of A2 paper and the medium shall be a canvas.
Why?
There has been a lot of controversy over the collecting of the items by museums such as The British Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum. I've understood and recognised that during colonial times, the greater power were able to take whatever took their interest (especially during a war) and did so as long as they had the economic/military upper hand. Although, we are no longer in those times as the countries can now economically and politically grow at their own accord. These countries have their land back so why do they not have their own creations back right where they belong?
This art work will turn out as a form of protest art towards the policies of museums and archives as well as raising awareness of artifact ownership.
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