Klieman to Speak at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Posted: January 24, 2008

Dr. Kairn Klieman, Associate Professor of History, will present a lecture, "Examining the Nexus of Environment, Religion, and Art in Central African History and Culture," as part of the "Sunday at the Met" lecture series on February 3, 2008 (2:45-3:45 pm).

The lecture, which accompanies the special exhibition "Eternal Ancestors: The Art of the Central African Reliquary" (on view Oct.2, 2007 - March 2,2008), is based on Dr. Klieman's research into the history and artifacts associated with bwiti, a politico-religious association that, in its various iterations, has been prevalent in the West-Central African regions of Gabon and Congo for at least five-hundred years. Rooted in an anlysis of linguistic, ethnographic, and written data, Dr. Klieman's work has provided the first historical assessment of this important institution; her conclusions were presented in a chapter she wrote for the catalog accompanying the exhibition.

The exhibition itself has received rave reviews; Holland Cotter of the New York Times described it as "a gorgeous, morally and spiritually vibrant show" deeming it "one of the sleepers of the art fall art season." Dr.Klieman's contribution has also been praised; Alisa LaGamma, Curator Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art described her essay as "a quantum leap in our understanding of the cultures of the region," and highlighted the work by excerpting a passage (one that describes the sacred nature of the rainforest) and displaying it on an exhibition wall alongside quotes from Pablo Picasso, St. Augustine, and a Gabonese elder. More information on the event and the exhibition can be accessed at www.metmuseum.org/special.

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