Reply To: Who owns the past?

[Kaylyn Kelly]

There are many individuals out there that sell old artifacts that they find. Is it morally right to sell work that isn’t yours? It is hard to know if there is a right or wrong when dealing with artwork but I do not think it should be “owned’ by anyone other than its creator. Prehistoric art on up to Ancient Greek artwork does not have anyone around to be the physical owner due to how old it is. This allows for our human nature to kick in. We become greedy, believe everything on this earth needs ownership, and thus leading to humans taking action into their own hands. Artwork is sold without consent which allows people to make a profit from something that never was theirs in the first place. It is a circle that continuously goes round and round with artifacts. Any historical artifact in my mind should not be sold nor profits made from it. Art should also be kept in the original place it was created in. Many pieces of art from Ancient Greece is now in Munich, Germany which is used for educational purposes but still does not seem right to take it from where it was created. An example of art being moved would be The Kouros figures from Attica Greece. These figures have been moved across the world to New York to be put into a museum. In my eyes, I see these figures or any form of art having more significance in the place it was made.