Who retains the rights and ownership of archaeological artifacts plundered during the colonial period? How should we repatriate these artifacts sequestered in museums? Do governments and art institutions that espouse decolonial theory have an ethical obligation to initiate this process of artifact restitution?
In the post-colonial era, museums have come under scrutiny for their roles as repositories of imperial conquests and for perpetuating the marginalization of indigenous and colonized peoples. Museums house artifacts that have not only been removed from their cultural context, but have also been used to construct narratives that prioritize colonial perspectives over indigenous histories.
As a native of Baghdad, Iraq, I am interested in colonial artifacts from my country of origin, of which most are sequestered in colonial museums around the world, most notably the British Museum. In early 2024, I began corresponding with the British Museum’s Mesopotamian department. I had noticed that they released a limited number of 3D meshes free to the public domain, and were also offering a fee-based service whereby one could request and pay for the release of additional 3D meshes from their collection. Interested in acquiring more meshes for my own artistic usage, I reached out to the museum, but their initial responses were predictably patriarchal and requested that I provide evidence that my work would treat the material with sensitivity and respect. After months of unsuccessful negotiations, I decided to acquire these objects myself.
In July 2024, I traveled to the British Museum. Using a free iPhone app called Polycam, I took approximately 500 photos of Mesopotamian artifacts from Southern Iraq and its peripheries to construct my own 3D meshes; it was an act of digital activism through the forced repatriation of objects of my own ancestry. I created 3D meshes of around 50 different objects, and then selected five of these meshes to recreate 3D-printed ‘replicas’. These 3D-printed replicas are now in the process of being converted into ceramic objects, which in turn will be converted into musical instruments.
By recreating these objects, I wish to challenge the norms of consent, ownership and access as they pertain to artifacts acquired by colonial plunder, and address the power dynamics inherent in the acquisition, display and interpretation of cultural artifacts. These power dynamics are mirrored in much of modern society, which continues to marginalize colonized peoples and their perspectives.
The six objects/instruments I’m creating will be used as vehicles to conjure sonic memories of pre-colonial Southern Iraq, resurrecting sounds long ago buried by colonial amnesia and imagining a trajectory of music and culture unadulterated by colonial interference. Three objects will be converted into electronic instruments. Object 1 (below) will trigger spoken words in the Akkadian or Babylonian languages. Object 2 (below) will trigger samples and field recordings and Object 4 (below) will be a melodic instrument triggering tones in maqam, a microtonal scale system particular to Iraq. Object 3 will be a receptacle for water and will generate sound through a hydrophone. Objects 5 & 6 will generate sounds through ceramic frictional movements creating different resonant frequencies.
Finally, all six of these instruments will be played live to create a long-form composition piece, which is already confirmed to debut at Sónar 2025. The performance will be done in collaboration with creative director and visual artist Mau Morgó, and together we will be creating a parallel visual narrative that explains the instrument creation and comments on issues of colonial plunder and the liberation of looted indigenous artifacts