mAANSeoulDeclaration2011onIndustrialHeritageinAsia

1. 2. Recognizing,understanding,interpretingandharnessingIndustryasheritageisachallengeinAsia. Ourindustrialpastisacomplexphenomenon: i) IndustryinAsia,unlikemanypartsofthepostindustrialisedWest,isstillaliveandverymucha partofourphysicalandculturallandscapetoday.Itisundercontinuousandsometimesrapid change. Thistime&distancerequiredtoviewthisasheritageisonereasonforthis. ii) Industrialpastisnotstatic&tangible.Itisaprocessconnectingsitesofproductionanditstransfer &consumptionthroughacomplexnetwork. iii) Wheretheindustrialpasthasbeenlostorceasedtoremaininaction,itsmemorycontributesto thesenseofidentityatvariouslevels(personal,local,regional,nationaletc). iv) OneaspectofthiscomplexitycomesfromthepainfulassociationwithindustrythatmanyAsian sitescarry.Thediscontentsofanexploitativeindustrialpastcanalienateusandhighlightour differences.Atthesametimeaculturallandscapethatindustryhascreatedthoughcontinuityand exchangepresentsusanopportunitytoseekeachothersinvestmentinourpast,makingit sharedandmutual.Thesharingmaynotalwaysbeequal,thegratificationnotalwaysmutualbut thedifferenceprovidestexture&colourtothislandscape.Itisinthecontextofthisunequalness thatwemustplaceourexploration,interpretationand(re)appropriation. v) Industryisinherentlylocalasitisspecifictoasite,acommunityand/orexistsinthememoryofa certaingroupofpeoplegeographicallylocalizedtoacertainplace.Howevertheconnectionsthat itestablishesthroughsharedtechnology,investment,andconsumptionrepresentitsglobal nature.Thissimultaneousdualityanddynamismisanatureofourindustrialpast. vi) InAsiaweneedtoseeplaceindustrialheritageinthecontextoftheevolvingindustrialprocess takingplaceinperiodwherewehaveexperiencedthefarreachingeffectsofpostwar, postcolonialtransitions,unprecedentedeconomicdevelopmenturbanizationcondensedintoa periodafewdecades. 3. WeseektoexpandourunderstandingofindustrialheritageinAsiatoincludetraditionalindustriesthat remainlivingandvitaltoourcultureandnotrestrictitsolelytoheritageassociatedwithdevelopment paradigmsrootedintheindustrialrevolutioninthewest.Developingthetacitknowledgeofpractices, craftsskillsandculturalsystemsnecessaryforcontinuanceofmanyproductionprocessesisimportantfor thisunderstanding. Industryrepresentsthecritical&fragileconnectionbetweennature&us.Therelationshipbetween industryandecologyiscrucialtothediscussiononsustainability.Emergingchallengesofclimatechange andlessonsfromourcollectiveindustrialpastholdsvaluablelessonstowardsourpresentconcernfor achievingdevelopmentwithsustainability.Thispresentstheopportunitytoexpandthetraditional boundariesofthesubjectofheritagestudies,byplacingitasadisciplinethatcanactivelycontributeto currenturbanissues. Theunderstandingofthecultureofindustryandindustryascultureneedstobereflectedupon.Weneedto devotetime&spacetothisdiscussion.Wemust,duringthisengagement,cooperateandcollaboratewith differentdisciplines,diversescholarshipsandwidercommunitytoenrichthiscomplexexploration.

4.

5.

Seoul,26August2011
This declaration is announced in the mAAN Seoul 2011 International Conference on Our Living Heritage: Industrial Buildings and Sites of Asia organized by mAAN International and mAAN Korea, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, Seoul Museum of History, ICOMOS Korea, ICOMOS Shared Built Heritage Commission, and TICCIH (International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage), in Seoul, 25-27 August, 2011.