Brook Andrew's Photo Essay 'Trading Lines' Documents Aboriginal Human Remains Trade and Museum Negotiations

Artist Brook Andrew's photo essay 'Trading Lines' presents nearly two decades of research into the international trade of Aboriginal human remains and cultural materials. The project began in 1996 at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, where Andrew encountered an Aboriginal skull from New South Wales, Australia. This discovery initiated an investigation into the active trade of human remains that started in the early 18th century. The essay includes correspondence with both private collectors and public collection managers, along with images from installations where objects are combined with artworks. While repatriation efforts to Aboriginal communities in Australia have been ongoing for over a decade, many human remains, photographs, and important documents continue to be uncovered, repatriated, and traded. The work explores the margins of museum practice and community involvement, examining how cultures remember when deprived of their cultural materials. Andrew presents the photo essay as an archive that engages public curiosity about complex negotiations surrounding cultural ownership. The project raises questions about who owns culture and history, while stimulating considerations about public archives and the protocol tensions that arise in these negotiations. Published on February 5, 2016, the content is available through MIT Press on a subscription-only basis.