Abstract In the face of rapid environmental breakdown and increased social and political uncertainty, cultural institutions around the world have mobilised to imagine alternative ways of living on and with the planet. This talk will argue that such shifts indicate more than simply a change in policy or practice, and instead point towards a fundamental reorientation of culture in the web of life. By focusing on the historical formation and evolving place of museums in this web, the talk will explore how museums have contributed to the planetary crisis through specific symbolic and material practices, but also how emerging approaches in the field might help to unravel some of the more destructive aspects of this entanglement. What might be gained […]

Abstract In addition to its basic use function, the building is also a space where many things happen. Buildings sometimes have a relationship with people's memories. Architectural heritage reflects some values of society or collective memory. The lecture explores the relationship between architectural heritage and memory with some examples.   Bio Lui Chak Keong is an Architect (Macao), Architecte du Patrimoine (France), Artist, has PhD in Design (Cultural Heritage Conservation), member of ICOMOS, and member of ICOMOS CHINA. He was born in Macao and graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, Universidade Tecnica, Lisbon (Portugal) in 1999. Between 2000 and 2003, he worked as architect at the Culture Institute of the Macao SAR Government and he was mainly engaged in conservation […]

Abstract Memory, meaning, and values are deeply interrelated. While memory enables us to transcend time through narratives, there is a sense in which we transcend time (the temporally present instant) every waking moment (and in dream states). We cannot live in temporal instants (the present "now" that has no duration); rather we live in durations, events or episodes that we are able to grasp and weave together through memory (re-cognition). Memory, as it shapes narratives and stories of ourselves and others-- plays an indispensable role in our personal identity and understanding of the meaning and values of life. I suggest that we have obligations to remember, especially in terms of moral accountability, and from the standpoint of gratitude toward benefactors (including ancestors and teachers), […]