аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмЅhcр eЇЭ!Ї Д ДД Д Д Д Д Ш Ш Ш Ш Ш Ш в Ш о @м м м м м м м м м о о о о о о !Xv!Wо Д м м м м м о м Д Д м м м м м м Д м Д м м @ž+@9рНШ Ш Д Д Д Д м м м м ANCIENT CULTURES AND NEW TECHNOLOGICAL WORLDS - BRIDGING DIVERSITY Jesmond Calleja Artists the world over tend to be interested in each other. There is an innate curiosity about different imagery, technology and lifestyle. Creativity in all art forms transcends language barriers and that interest is closely parallelled within Aboriginal Australia. Lin Onus, 19901 Over the past two decades, Australia has transformed itself into becoming a country that recognises the diversity of its make-up. Australia’s mammoth post-war migration, initially from Europe but more recently from Asia and other parts of the world, has not only changed its demography but it has also led to irresistible pressures for cultural change, reformation and rethinking. Today, most Australians accept cultural difference as the basis upon which to construct a new national identity. Many are even prepared to concede that Australia has been enriched, possibly even challenged and altered by this diversity. Australian culture is a differentiated one, comprising a multitude of diverse cultures emerging from different customs, beliefs, social and economic backgrounds and artistic traditions. Australian culture has made a remarkably self-conscious incursion into the everyday life of consumers. Undoubtedly the Australian invasion of international culture has involved a proliferation of images and references that have shifted perceptions of Australia throughout the world. The instance of the television soap drama, displacing the narrative environments of the outback by those of suburbia, offers perhaps the most conspicuous examples of the much broader process of re-imaging that has taken place. Given the repeated insistence of these Australian presences, it seems appropriate that attention should be directed to the current transmission of Australian culture through the arts and other contexts. It is through these instances that most overseas people now make their first contact with the Australian experience. This now brings me to a little anecdote that I would briefly like to share with you involving one of this country’s most exported cultural commodities - vegemite. As a keen follower of the opera, I recently had the pleasure of attending the opening of Humperdinck’s very amusing opera of the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grim 1812, at the Sydney Opera House. This opera, which was first actually performed on the actual day of my birthday, but in the year 1893, had a slight, comical Australian cultural twist to the libretto. The scenario is typical; the father comes home from work to find the mother, naturally in the kitchen complaining that there is no food and that she does all the work in the house. To the mother's delight, the father presents her with a bag containing all sorts of gorgeous treats. One of those treats, which is also the punch line to my story is a jar of Australian made vegemite. How Australian can the opera of Hansel and Gretel get? Somehow, I do not think that Humperdinck would have been turning too much in his grave as this moment brought about a sudden burst of laughter to the audience in the Opera Theatre. Indeed, quite the opposite reaction from seeing a performance of either Verdi’s La Traviata or Puccini’s Tosca. Cultural diversity is rather more comprehensive and may extend further all community and ethnic parameters. The complex divisions of cultures together with the dynamic changes seen in societies are presently far more interconnecting than is initially perceived. Today, approaches to information and technology, knowledge and society are being pursued and addressed by cultural institutions around the world from a broadband of disciplines. In Australia, the importance of indigenous issues in the Asia-Pacific geographical region has a vital influence for us as professionals within our field. Aboriginal art is a living tradition constantly adapting and changing with time. It is also perhaps the oldest continuous art tradition in the world. Because of this, I feel that it is highly suitable that ICOM's 18th General Conference be hosted in Australia. As we rapidly move into the 21st century, we are forever being reminded that the challenges confronting us have invariably and without doubt been linked to technological developments on a universal scale. Today’s electronically animated world of global communication continues to empower us, forcing us to re-think our approach to knowledge acquisition and dissemination. The continual migration towards an information-based society has created a strong impact over the cultural public sector. On a universal level, we are all aware of the degree in the power that mediums like the Internet and World Wide Web technologies have presented to cultural institutions. In light of this, I often think of how museums may profit from technology by delivering adequate data and useful knowledge to a culturally polytypic world? Our tiny planet is increasingly becoming multicultural in its composition and the challenges it is undergoing in forms of changes are exceptional. All parts of the world are no doubt affected: from the countries of the Asia-Pacific rim throughout Africa and Latin America, Oceania and Europe. There is not one single society that is protected from the challenges brought about by change. I do not think that the museum profession sets out to purposely alienate a community especially when that certain community constitutes a large part of the surrounding population and potential visitation. But what can cultural institutions do to broaden their public appeal and dispel negative perceptions? What types of programs can these same institutions formulate that will attract new audiences and strengthen their position in ever-changing communities? How can culturally diverse audiences relate and understand the data that museums are presenting? These are the sort of issues that I would like to bring to surface this afternoon by drawing on examples from my institution in Sydney, the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 1 Onus, L. 1990. ‘Language and Lasers’ in Caruana, W. and Issacs, J. (eds.), The Land, the City: The Emergence of Urban Aboriginal Art, Art Monthly, Australia supplement, Arts Centre, Australian National University, Canberra ЁЄ‚.ЅЦAІЇЈ Љ ЊЋ (CDUWbqrУФKЇФћїѕ№ьѕьчьчьтьрu]^c]ch]cU]c]]cU]c(DEFVWbcstuvš›й к еж./чшСТУІЇ§ћ§§§јіјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјєK@ёџNormala &@& Heading 1Ua c"A@ђџЁ"Default Paragraph Font"B@ђ" Body TextVcЇЇџџџџФЇџ@@Times New Roman Symbol "ArialGaramond"€аhiz)Fiz)FЄZ)ІS ƒ+W'ANCIENT CULTURES AND NEW TECHNOLOGICAL Jesmond Calleja Lawrie Conoleўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8є9ВqџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entry џџџџџџџџ РF@ž+@9рН€WordDocumentџџџџl‹EЭ!CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџjSummaryInformation(џџџџџџџџЮ шўџџџ ўџџџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.6є9Вqўџр…ŸђљOhЋ‘+'Гй0И˜ амє  4@ h t € Œ˜ ЈАф(ANCIENT CULTURES AND NEW TECHNOLOGICAL Jesmond CallejaNormalLawrie Conole1DMicrosofDocumentSummaryInformation8џџџџџџџџџџџџ јџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entry џџџџџџџџ РF€Ћ.@9рНр‰?9рН€WordDocumentџџџџl‹EЭ!CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџjSummaryInformation(џџџџџџџџЮ ш ўџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџўџџџ§џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџt Word for Windows 95@@Xи%нН@N‹ 9рН@N‹ 9рНSўџеЭеœ.“—+,љЎ0Ш@Hhp x€ ˆфTHE ART GALLERY OF NSW+ (ANCIENT CULTURES AND NEW TECHNOLOGICAL