Deborah Klimburg-Salter
is participant at
The Global Future of Local Art Museums - The Cultural Practice of Local Memory and the Rise of Global Art
Abstract
Reinventing the National Museum of Afghanistan
The Kabul National Museum of Afghanistan is justifiably proud of its singular role in the rebuilding of the cultural identity of Afghanistan. Inscribed in marble, in English and Persian, at the entrance to the Museum is their motto, first articulated after the destruction by firebombing and theft of their Museum: “A Nation Stays Alive Whose Culture Stays Alive.” The heroic rescue of the majority of the Museum’s masterpieces, until now kept secret by the museum staff, and the present condition of the Museum collections will be briefly discussed. The Museum is now preparing an assessment and scientific inventory of its complete collections with the assistance of UNESCO, as well as a program to rebuild and modernize the physical and human capacity of the National Museum. This is a Herculean task but essential to reaffirm and strengthen Afghanistan’s cultural and historical identity threatened by simmering ethnic strife and disastrous economic conditions.
