Interrogating the mistreatment of sacred objects as art(efacts)

Abstract

In this article, we argue against the assumptions that allow for the exploitation of certain types of relics under the guise that these objects are merely artistic and/or artifactual. Our thesis, therefore, is that sacred objects cannot be counted as art or treated as artefacts. To buttress our point, we first present some understandings of art and show how they aid these misconceptions. We then zoom in on two instances where the assumptions we refer to are at play. Specifically, we talk about certain objects with spiritual significance, and human bodies that are inherently sacred as examples that buttress our point. We show that the cultural and spiritual/religious significance that these sacred objects have do not make them artworks, and that the sacredness and the right to dignity that corpses possess are good enough reasons to reject the intuitions that make us believe they can become artefacts or can be treated as such.