When we think of heritage, it is to protect and preserve our presence in the past. Heritage informs discourse about our identity and reminds us of not just who we were, but who we are. But consider the necessity of change and dynamism. What we want to preserve and why we want to preserve it is not set in stone. Institutionalising preservation of the intangible could be a threat to its own survival.
The contributions and interviews in this issue of VOLUME magaazine delve into the politics and practices of safeguarding the intangible, looking at the kickback effects on tangible cultural heritage and exploring the hegemonic role that modernity still plays in shaping heritage institutions, ideas, and beliefs.
