Dziedzictwo kulturowe na obczyźnie: chinoiserie w dyplomacji kulturalnej Polski i Chin

Abstract

Cultural heritage is used to promote political ideas and economic initiatives these days. It is not only a political construct but also a useful tool in both reaching domestic political goals (for instance, building one’s national identity) and developing international relationships (building soft power). This case study focuses on the cooperation of public and private institutions over the project of revitalisation of the Chinese Alley and building a Chinese garden in the Royal Łazienki Museum in Poland between 2012 and 2014. Using the concept of ‘heritage diplomacy’ coined by Tim Winter (2015), this paper analyses the relationship between the key actors that participated in the project and those who have been benefi tting from its results. The analysis shows how cultural heritage becomes an element of strategy in foreign relations in order to strengthen international and interinstitutional relations and how the political actors benefit from the outcomes of conservation and promotion of cultural heritage. It also makes it possible to identify the motivation of various actors while engaging in conservation of heritage on domestic and international levels.