ASEAN Cultural Mapping handbook launched in Canberra
A major ASEAN guide book on cultural mapping, co-authored by Australian heritage experts Mr. Ian Cook and Professor Ken Taylor was launched by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Peter Varghese AO, in Canberra May 6, 2013. The first copy was presented to the Ambassador for Philippines H.E. Belen F. Anota in in the presence of the authors, the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic, The Australian National University, Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington, Assistant Secretary-General, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, H.E. Alicia Bala, Chairman of AusHeritage Mr. Vinod Daniel and Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. High level representation was also present from Laos, Thailand, Timor-Leste and China.
From left to right: H.E. Mr. Chum Sounry, Ambassador, Cambodia; H.E. Mr. Hoang Vinh Thanh, Ambassador, Vietnam Embassy; H.E. Dato’ Salman Ahmad, High Commissioner, Malaysia, H.E. Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, Ambassador, Indonesia; H.E. Mr. Michael Teo Eng Cheng, High Commissioner for Singapore; H.E. Alicia Bala, Deputy Secretary-General, ASEAN Social-Cultural Community, ASEAN Secretariat; H.E. Belen F. Anota, Ambassador, Philippines; Mr. Vinod Daniel, Chair AusHeritage; Mr. Peter Varghese AO, Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Ian Cook – Co-author of the Cultural Mapping Guide; Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington, Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic, The Australian National University; Professor Ken Taylor – Co-author of the Cultural Mapping Guide; Mrs Sengdavanh Vongsay, First Secretary, Embassy of the Lao P.D.R.
This is a joint publication of AusHeritage and the ASEAN Committee for Culture and Information published by the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta and financially supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ICEAPS (Australian National University), National Museum of Australia, the ASEAN Secretariat and AusHeritage.
Cultural mapping is the process used to describe the set of activities and processes for exploring, discovering, documenting, examining, analysing, interpreting, presenting and sharing information related to people, communities, societies, places and the material products and practices associated with those people and places. A cultural map may be created as an end in itself or provide an input into other endeavors. The cultural mapping process may focus on the past, the present and also the future. In this respect, cultural mapping can be used to monitor change in material culture as well as intangible cultural heritage.
Mr Vinod Daniel, Chairman of AusHeritage said that AusHeritage and ASEAN, through its Committee on Culture and Information have had a very long relationship and have worked on several collaborative initiatives. The publication of the Guide is yet another example of a collaborative outcome that assists in preservation of the regional cultural heritage. He added that the two authors Mr Ian Cook and Professor Ken Taylor, had visited all ten ASEAN countries in producing this book and the contents reflect the shared views between Australian and ASEAN heritage experts.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Le Luong Minh said that it is a timely and relevant tool for supporting our community building efforts in the ASEAN region. He added that this guidebook will catalyse further interest and action in mapping our cultures and envisioned that its uptake will contribute to achieving greater regional understanding and cooperation, not only throughout ASEAN but also in the wider Asia-Pacific context.
AusHeritage is Australia’s international network for cultural heritage. The organisation’s members include Australian universities, national collecting institutions, State galleries, libraries and museums, private architectural firms and private and government conservation services.
AusHeritage has memoranda of understanding with several organisations in India, Taiwan, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Members have also worked on several major international projects including developing a charter for the; conservation of buildings with the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage, developing a functional brief for the Tagore museum in Shanthinketan (India), working with the City Palace in Jaipur on the Jaigarh Fort (India), Restoration of the Kapitan Keling Mosque (George Town, Penang), developing heritage strategies for conservation and cultural tourism on Kinmen Island Taiwan, Country missions to China, Hong Kong and India and masonry conservation advice and strategies for the National Maritime Museum in Old Batavia in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Background on Authors
Ian Cook is a freelance heritage consultant with an extensive background in preservation and collections management. He was the inaugural director of Artlab Australia, is an honorary life member of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material and became a Salzburg Global Fellow in 2009. He is on the Board of Directors of AusHeritage Ltd.
Ken Taylor AM, is an Adjunct Professor in the Research School of Humanities and the Arts and Program Advisor to Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and Arts, the Australian National University; Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture and former Co-Director, Cultural Heritage Research Centre, University of Canberra; and Visiting Professor Silpakorn University, Bangkok. He is co-editor of Managing Cultural Landscapes
For further information on AusHeritage visit www.ausheritage.org.au