LA DOXA NON-OCCIDENTALE SUR LA SAUVEGARDE DES BIENS CULTURELS

Since its establishment, the Venice Charter (1964) has focused on the conservation and restoration of monuments, based on their authenticity and integrity. Based on these theoretical and practical principles, the Charter's approach seeks to preserve the materialist component of historic architectural movements and monuments—that is, the beauty and aesthetic appeal that come from the architectural creations of human history (painting, sculpture, decoration). This Eurocentric perspective reflects the desire to protect historical monuments from the wars, conflicts, natural disasters, and environmental changes brought about by the rise of many contemporary artistic currents from the early 20th century to the present. The application of this Charter, however, tends to highlight artistic productions influenced by colonialism in non-Western or colonized countries, making artwork of a living tradition invisible and viewed as folklore or archaic culture—in other words, a sense of superiority and dominance through the promotion of exogenous value. In this Charter, we can see the relationship between monument and authenticity, where the monument claims to commemorate the survival or living testimony of a past through a conscious act and authenticity, which refers to a fixed form of the monument. The aim of this text is to highlight the value of living traditions and popular culture in the context of protecting cultural heritage. In other words, although the Venice Charter does not necessarily reflect the living traditions of indigenous peoples, it must go beyond the simple question of international obligation and theoretical and practical principles. It is more important to consider the cultural heritage as the essence of the people who own it, transcending the materialistic aspects of economic and legal will. In considering contemporary geocultural realities and neo-colonial cultural policies, we shall first review how the Venice Charter has been used in non-Western contexts. Many countries continue to be colonies of the West, and the Western countries' cultural heritage still includes their memories and artistic creations. Next, a diagnosis based on the fundamental principle of the Venice Charter: authenticity. How can a living tradition that encourages the exchange of know-how and life experiences be recognized for its authenticity and integrity? This procedure is part of a process that keeps in mind the historical substance of the Venice Charter. In conclusion, this research seeks to produce a result that goes beyond the Venice Charter's achievements in terms of the principles of cultural heritage restoration and conservation by promoting living traditions that are specific to each culture in order to guarantee their continuity in time and space for present and future generations.