The Historian’s Question: Where exactly is the ‘British’ Museum?

In an era of global connectivity and cultural awakening, the question of who truly owns our shared heritage has never been more pertinent. From the hallowed halls of the British Museum to the digital archives of the innovative Museum of Looted Antiquities, a revolution in cultural repatriation is quietly unfolding. This essay takes readers on a journey from a thought-provoking conversation with renowned Indian historian K.N. Panikkar to the cutting-edge efforts of online platforms documenting the return of stolen artifacts. As we explore the complex web of acquisition, smuggling, and repatriation, we uncover not just the stories of priceless objects, but also the evolving narrative of how we perceive and preserve our global cultural legacy. In a world where the lines between preservation and appropriation blur, this exploration challenges us to reconsider the role of museums and the true meaning of cultural stewardship in the 21st century.

AI Debate Takes a Full Circle

Artificial Intelligence continues to stir debates in art and technology. Recently, Bolivian photographer Miles Astray won a competition for AI-generated images with a photo he shot, fooling the judges with its surreal quality. This incident underscores the ongoing discussions about the ethical and philosophical implications of AI in creative fields, highlighting both its potential and its challenges. The debate around AI and human creativity has indeed come full circle, questioning the boundaries between machine and human artistry.

Underwater Photography: No Under Estimating It | Susannah Snowden-Smith

On a bright Sunday morning, PhotoMail caught up with the chief documentary photographer on the Godavaya excavation, Susannah Snowden-Smith. What followed was an interesting revelation of the nuances of underwater photography. Living her dream of underwater photography, which she had started thinking about when she was 11 years old, Susannah reached out to a renowned archeologist as early as in her tenth grade. And in a matter of few years, she was on her first 120 feet underwater excavation assignment close to Sedana island Sadana Island in Red Sea, documenting an eighteenth-century ship wreck.

Pandemic Paradox, Indian Art 2020

The world of art and culture is one of the hardest-hit sectors. The already limited support structure for artists and art/cultural organisations in India has dwindled further, pushing many to oblivion. The coronavirus outbreak and subsequent nationwide lockdown did affect almost all art practitioners, but then, the scale of impact was different for different sectors. Performance artists and photographers received the first line of bullets, with curtains down on live performances and mobility curtailed for photography assignments. Even within this, there were increased vulnerabilities because of one’s age (young, mid-career, and senior), location (rural or urban), networking possibilities, social and family support lines etc.

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