Met Curator Alisa Lagamma On Rockefeller Wing, Repatriation

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Alisa LaGamma, the Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator for the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, discussed the recently renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing and the ongoing debate surrounding repatriation in an interview with Adam Lindemann.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art officially announced the creation of a new wing in 1969, a decision made in conjunction with then- New York Governor Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller. This expansion was intended to house his significant collection of art from sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the Ancient Americas, which had previously been displayed at his private Museum for Primitive Art. This move dramatically redefined the Met's mission, establishing it as a global institution committed to representing cultures from across the world, a radical departure from its previous focus on Western European Old Masters.

Nelson Rockefeller's passion for non-Western art led him to establish his own institution in 1954, as the Metropolitan initially resisted incorporating these works. His mother, Abby Rockefeller, instilled in him an appreciation for African and Ancient American art's influence on 20th-century art. His son, Michael Rockefeller, shared this interest, majoring in anthropology at Harvard and embarking on research and collection trips to the Pacific. During his second trip to Papua New Guinea in 1961, he tragically drowned while attempting to swim to shore after his small craft ran out of gas.

The campaign to integrate non-Western art into the Met finally succeeded in 1969, influenced by significant social and cultural shifts in the 1960s, including the Civil Rights movement and the emergence of new nation-states in Africa. The new wing was named in honor of Michael Rockefeller's dedication to understanding Asmat art. Over the following decade, the staff, collection, archives, and library of the Museum of Primitive Art were transferred to what is now the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.

The wing, which spans 40,000 square feet, underwent a complete renovation and reopened last year. Nelson Rockefeller, who served as Vice President during much of the wing's construction, died before its completion in 1982. The initial display, opened in 1982, offered minimal context for the works. LaGamma emphasized the importance of reflecting contemporary scholarship in the permanent galleries, leading her to propose a capital project to renew the wing over a decade ago. Her curatorial team aimed to reintroduce the permanent collection through three independent surveys of world art, enriched by collaborations with experts in the works' countries of origin.

This reinstallation includes a significant infusion of digital content, providing greater context. This content features three audio guides that incorporate perspectives from leading public intellectuals in the arts and humanities from global centers such as Bamako and Bogota. Additionally, filmmaker Sosena Solomon was commissioned to create a series of short documentaries. These films document interviews and landmarks at a dozen sites across sub-Saharan Africa, broadening the understanding of major cultural centers.

Source: Artnet News

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