On ‘appropriation’: a critical reappraisal of the concept and its application in global art practices

Abstract

In this article, I will argue for the opportunity to rethink the concept of appropriation in order to provide a better understanding of global artistic practices. I will consider the relationship between appropriation and cultural change. My goal is to shift the traditional units of anthropological analysis from groups – which are considered as a whole – and cultures –which are seen as delimited in their boundaries – to the individual creators of artistic works and their role in the process of globalization and intercultural contacts.