ArtAsiaPacific

The Ethics and Legality of Deaccessioning in Desperate Times

See our website for the Chinese version of this article.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Covid-19 has wreaked havoc all over the world. UNESCO and the International Council of Museums have estimated that 13 percent of the world’s museums may never reopen again, and that 20 percent of museum workers have lost their jobs. Art institutions have not been spared. It is anticipated that the situation will further deteriorate. We have to grapple with questions regarding the pandemic’s impact on the world’s shared cultural

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