From appropriation to transpropriation in the arts

Abstract

An issue raised lately in the media about the arts is the question of “appropriation,” typically defined as taking something for oneself that belongs to someone else, or that originates from a culture or community to which one does not belong—often without permission or legitimate authority. Appropriation is commonly viewed as a unilateral act, with little consideration of possible reciprocal forms. This paper introduces the concept of “transpropriation” as a potential antonym to appropriation—a term not found in dictionaries, but used here to describe a process of making something one’s own through relational engagement with other people or cultures. Unlike appropriation, transpropriation emphasizes mutuality and ethical exchange. Bruno Deschênes succinctly explores both the notions of appropriation and transpropriation in regard to arts, in particular world music, suggesting that the latter is an outcome of the former. In world music, to properly master a music from a culture distinct from one’s own, appropriation is insufficient; the musician might have to take a transpropriative comportment.

Keywords

Appropriation / Transpropriation / Transculturality / Art / Painting / Music / World music / Ethnomusicology

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