Concept Of Cultural Landscape Research Articles

“Incommensurable Airspace”: Image of Russia in Travelogue of Maxim Nezvorov

This article analyzes the image of Russia in Maxim Nezvorov’s travelogue “Journey to Kazan, Vyatka, and Orenburg in 1800.” Based on theoretical frameworks, we identify three aspects of analysis: genre, spatiality, and subjectivity. The study employs structuraldescriptive and cultural-historical methods, alongside the foundational principles of N. L. Leiderman’s genre theory, V. L. Kagansky’s concept of cultural landscape, and B. O. Korman’s ideas on the subject of artistic text. Our findings indicate that the choice of a quasi-documentary epistolary form allowed the author to establish a commitment to authenticity, combined with a characteristically sentimental intention of the “sensitive traveler.” It is demonstrated that Nezvorov delineates a system-forming dichotomy of “centerperiphery,” within which the cultural landscape is (re)constructed. We conclude that the author evaluates a key component of this landscape — urban planning and architecture — while the landscape itself serves a supportive role. Nezvorov pays particular attention to the extraordinarily diverse ethnic composition of the empire’s population. Although he rarely grants his “interlocutors” a voice, their comments and judgments enable a partial reconstruction of the worldview of a person in the early 19th century, one of the key elements of which is the image of Russia.

Charting progress: a cultural odyssey through eco-heritage transformations

PurposeThis paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the historical evolution and contemporary transformations inherent in cultural landscapes, framed within the narrative of a cultural odyssey. The concept of cultural landscapes extends beyond the physical arrangement of landscape elements, encompassing social and cultural customs and economic dynamics in both tangible and intangible aspects of heritage. Instead of being confined to a linear evolutionary model of sacred-historic landscape development, these sites are understood to exist across different historical periods such as ancient, medieval, etc. reflecting their multifaceted nature.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilizes a thorough and systematic examination of existing literature, covering several disciplines such as cultural studies, anthropology and environmental studies. The methodology prioritizes a holistic approach by including succinct discussion of many locations to improve the analysis. The collection of qualitative data on the cultural importance of eco-heritage involves conducting participant observations and focus group talks to capture a diverse range of perspectives.FindingsThe paper highlights the importance of preserving and interpreting cultural landscapes as living, evolving entities. By recognizing diverse layers of history and cultural significance within these sites, research suggests strategies for integrating sustainable practices in the management of cultural landscapes.Originality/valueThis work makes a substantial contribution to the academic field by examining the intersection where cultural heritage and eco-transformations converge. By embarking on a cultural odyssey, the paper not only charts the progress of societies but also sheds light on the transformative impact of eco-heritage interactions. The novel perspectives offer a new framework for scholars, policymakers and practitioners to analyze and value the complex interrelationships between cultural legacy and ecological changes.

Re-Assessing Hagia Sophia and Istanbul Land Walls through the Lens of Cultural Landscape Concept

Istanbul Historic Peninsula hosts diverse cultural heritage values that represent overlapping cultural layers lasting from the Ancient Greek city of Byzantion to the present city. This study examines the contribution of cultural landscape and historic urban landscape approaches to the conservation of heritage values in the Istanbul Historic Peninsula. Two of four UNESCO World Heritage sites, Hagia Sophia and Istanbul Land Walls are selected as case studies that are the architectural and urban scale components of the city’s image. This study aims to attribute to the world heritage sites of Hagia Sophia and Land Walls, which face the risk of loss of authenticity, integrity and outstanding universal value, the concept of cultural landscape, which enables the holistic and sustainable protection of the values and components of these sites. This study reveals the changing and continuing values of which are overlapped on a monument and a site.

Pungryu: transcendent ways of seeing landscape

This study investigates the Korean practice of pungryu, a unique way of appreciating landscapes intertwining aesthetic enjoyment with spiritual and philosophical pursuits. Pungryu, deeply rooted in the quest for divine immortality and harmony with nature, is explored as a lens through which Koreans have traditionally interacted with their landscapes. The study employs a historical and cultural analysis, drawing upon various sources to trace the evolution and influence of pungryu on Korean landscape culture. Pungryu is revealed as not just a practice but a sophisticated cultural expression that has shaped the Korean understanding of nature and beauty. This expression is rich in symbolic and metaphorical content, serving as a conduit for artistic inspiration, empirical knowledge and national identity. The paper underscores the importance of pungryu in comprehending the broader concept of cultural landscapes, highlighting its role in the ongoing discourse on authenticity and cultural diversity within the heritage landscape context.

CONCEPT OF CREATING OF AN ELECTRONIC ATLAS “UKRAINE. CULTURAL AND LANDSCAPE HERITAGE”

The purpose of this study is to develop conceptual and methodological approaches to the creation of an electronic atlas “Ukraine. Cultural and landscape heritage.” This is one of the priority measures to accelerate the pace of practical implementation and popularization of the approach of the cultural landscape in Ukraine. The study is based on: analysis and generalization of the main documents on the implementation of the concept of cultural landscape in international law in order to protect both cultural and natural heritage; study of legislative and practical experience of some foreign countries in the application of the concept of cultural landscape in the context of its identification, typology, cartographic visualization and popularization; a review of the current state of legislative, regulatory and methodological support and practical results on these issues in monument preservation activities in Ukraine. The goals, objectives, conceptual principles and methodological approaches to its creation, namely: development of its content, organization, thematic parts, principles of description and representation of mapping objects, creation of appropriate GIS, visualization of spatial and attributive data, etc., are defined.

The World Heritage Site “Lake Baikal” as an Associative Cultural Landscape: Problem Statement

The article examines the features of the international legal regime of associative cultural landscapes in the world heritage protection system. It is noted that it is impossible to strictly divide the world heritage into cultural and natural objects, and changes in the system of their nomination are analyzed, aimed at taking into account the connection between cultural and natural attributes of outstanding universal value. The history of the formation of the concept of cultural landscapes is shown, their signs developed in the world Heritage protection system are revealed. The purpose of the study is to find ways to strengthen the legal protection of world natural heritage sites located in the Russian Federation through the use of the international legal regime for the protection of associative cultural landscapes, which has been developed within the framework of the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Institute of associative cultural landscapes and the possibility of their international legal protection are being investigated in relation to the conservation of Lake Baikal. A new area of protection for this world heritage site may be the legal consolidation of its cultural value, expressed both in its special religious significance and in its completely unique role for secular environmental ethics. The conclusion is formulated on the expediency of recognizing Lake Baikal as a world heritage site not only according to the criteria fixed for world natural heritage sites, but also as an associative cultural landscape. The recognition of world natural heritage sites located on the territory of Russia as associative cultural landscapes (if there are grounds for that) will allow us to more fully reveal the peculiarities of the culture of the peoples living in these territories and ensure legal protection of associative links between cultural phenomena and natural complexes. At the same time, systematic work is needed to improve legislation on the management of activities for the conservation of world heritage sites.

L. N. Tolstoy's Pattern in the cultural landscape of Crimea

The cultural landscape as a concept is not a homogeneous formation, but, like a mosaic, includes patterns of cultures, both ethnic groups and state and other entities, religions, professional traditions, art, literature, science. Outstanding personalities who have contributed to the culture of the area have a separate role. The Crimean cultural landscape is rich and diverse, which is natural for a multiethnic region with a rich centuries-old history. Many outstanding figures of culture and art have contributed to the cultural landscape of Crimea, such as artists I.K. Aivazovsky, M.A. Voloshin, K.F. Bogaevsky, poets and writers A. Mickiewicz, A. S. Pushkin, I. Shmelev, architects A. N. Beketov, P.Ya. Saferov and N.P. Krasnov, composer A. Karamanov, ethnographer and sociologist N.Y. Danilevsky and many others. The subject of this article is the contribution to the cultural landscape of Crimea of the outstanding writer, cultural and philosophical figure, Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Research methods used in the article are: the method of historicism in retrospect of the details of the cultural landscape of the Crimea, the method of historiography in clarifying the concept of cultural landscape, the associative-artistic method in comparing what L.N. Tolstoy wrote about the Crimea and its contribution to the cultural landscape. The scientific novelty of the research consists in understanding L. N. Tolstoy's contribution to the cultural landscape of Crimea. The cultural landscape of Crimea is rich and diverse due to both the unique natural and climatic zone and the geographical location of the peninsula on the way from east to west, which since ancient times has led to the polyethnicity, polylingualism, and multi-confessional nature of the Crimean cultural ecumene. The formation of the Crimean cultural landscape was influenced not only by communities, but also by prominent personalities who lived and/or visited the peninsula at different times. The contribution to the Crimean culture of the famous writer, philosopher, educator L. N. Tolstoy consists in his deep philosophical understanding of the local cultural flavor, expressed in the cycle "Sevastopol stories", as well as in the diaries of the writer, where he talks about Crimea as a place whose beauty and harmony embodies the philosophical harmony of thought, understanding by man and his the eternal pursuit of goodness and light as the goal of life.

Cultural landscape as heritage: proposals for Ukraine from the experience of certain European countries

Formulation of the problem. Ukraine has a vast and uniquely diverse cultural landscape potential. However, the state of the landscapes, which has long been a matter of public concern, has deteriorated many times over as a result of russia's full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine is far behind in implementing the commitments made by the European and international community in a number of international documents on the preservation of cultural landscapes. The purpose of the article. The purpose of this publication is to develop proposals for the implementation of the concept of cultural landscape in the field of protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage on the basis of fulfilling Ukraine's relevant international obligations and introducing the best mechanisms and practices of European countries. Methodology and results. The research methodology is based on a descriptive qualitative and comparative approach, which made it possible to reveal the peculiarities of the experience of preserving the cultural landscape as a heritage in certain EU countries - representatives of the “old Europe” (Italy and Spain), post-socialist (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic) and post-Soviet (Latvia and Lithuania) space. The European experience was studied through the prism of meeting the requirements of the European Landscape Convention and the possibilities of its practical application in Ukraine. The analysis of examples of practical implementation of the concept of cultural landscape by European countries in comparison with domestic practice in Ukraine made it possible to identify the main problems in this area and to outline indicative directions of a possible strategy for their solution, the main mechanisms, tools and specific measures for their implementation. The first step in the development of such a strategy could be the development and adoption by government decree of a National Action Plan for the Protection and Preservation of the Cultural Landscape Heritage of Ukraine. The overall goal of this plan for the next 5-10 years should be to ensure the protection, preservation and careful use of the country's cultural landscapes by: bringing the country's legislation into line with the EU system of legal and regulatory standards for landscape protection, regulation and planning; taking these issues into account in the formulation and implementation of state cultural, environmental and urban planning policies and including them as an integral part of the strategy for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction; raising public awareness and involving communities. Scientific novelty and practical significance. The novelty of the study is the identification of the main areas of action for the protection and preservation of the cultural landscape heritage of Ukraine and the development of concrete proposals for their filling with appropriate measures. Acknowledgement. The research is financed by the European Union NextGenerationEU from the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Plan mechanism within the project "Scholarships for outstanding researchers threatened by the military conflict in Ukraine" No. 09І03-03-V01-00021. This article is one of the results of the research within the framework of grant no. 2/0043/23 "Identification of landscape diversity and its changes in Slovakia based on remote sensing data in the context of the European Green Deal" supported by the Slovak Scientific Grant Agency VEGA.

Research on the Changes in Cultural Landscape of Tourist-Type Traditional Chinese Villages from the Perspective of Cultural Memory: Taking Anzhen Village in Chongqing as an Example

With the development of rural tourism, rural culture in China has suffered from development problems. Existing studies focus more on how to protect rural culture, ignoring the dynamic changes in rural culture. Therefore, cultural memory offers an important perspective to review the dynamic process of cultural changes. This paper uses the concept of cultural landscape to explore the changes in rural culture from the perspective of cultural memory. The research methods of historical data analysis and field investigation are used. The change process of the cultural landscape in Anzhen Village is explored. Firstly, the clan-style group life in the traditional human–land relationship is the germination of cultural memory. Secondly, typical Chongqing residential mansions become ways of spatial expression of the local cultural landscape. Thirdly, the group interpretation of the settlement landscape becomes the continuation of local memory. Fourthly, the migration of living settlements in the dual influence of modern transportation and administrative divisions is the deconstruction of local memory. Fifthly, the touristic reconstruction of the traditional cultural landscape is summarized as memory reconstruction. In addition, the factors affecting the changes in the cultural landscape are analyzed from both internal and external aspects. The discussion on the dynamic changes in the cultural landscape provides a theoretical and practical basis for the analysis, protection, and inheritance of rural culture.

Cultural landscape concept role in the natural-cultural heritage continuum maintaining

The relevance of natural and cultural heritage preservation in their interaction seems indisputable at first glance. However, at the management level this topic often becomes a stumbling block, which is quite clearly seen in Russian World Heritage sites. This problem is permanently discussed at the international level, and international methodological tools are actively supplemented by new developments on the integrity and interdependence of the natural and cultural components of the heritage. The natural-cultural continuum of heritage sites is most clearly seen in cultural landscapes, which should be considered not only as one of the types of public property, but alo as a method and concept for comprehending natural and cultural heritage phenomena.

Transcultural Landscapes: Public Space and Bioclimatic Architecture

Objectives: To analyze Transcultural Landscapes defined by Public Space and Bioclimatic Architecture of African Brazilians and Indigenous Cultures. Indigenous architecture from native ethnic groups added to Africans who came to the country as slaves. Such Brazilian tropical architecture is characterized by moving away not only from the usual constructive methods, but also from a characteristic of western culture of aggressiveness towards nature. Theoretical approach: Architecture as Landscape, Place and Sustainable Development. Discussion: Conforming Architecture to socioeconomic and environmental issues to conform buildings to sustainability. Theoretical / methodological contributions: Architecture comes from ecological conditions resulting from the natural context (Biophilia). Place as a fundamental concept for the study of geography, linking it to Cultural Landscape in which culture is the agent, the natural area is the environment, and the Cultural Landscape is the result. Cultural Landscape concept was adopted by UNESCO in 1992 and incorporated as a new typology of recognition of cultural assets according to the 1972 Convention, which established the World Heritage List. Social and environmental contributions: Changing the Urban Paradigm through micro-prototypes implanted in the favela Morro do Palácio, in Niterói/RJ from the perspective of Technological Innovations and Experiments with New Materials, Processes, and Tools, as goals of the LAPALU (Transcultural Laboratory of Landscape and Place), PPGAU/UFF/CNPq. Conclusion: Teaching the Project of Architecture and its Social Innovation at the Brazilian Federal University.

ARTETETURISMO:

The social isolation caused by the post 2020 pandemic has changed the socio-technical paradigms, with implications for the form of enjoyment and sociability of the urban and natural space. This structural change that, at times, excessively encouraged, the dematerialization or temporalization of space, as in the school environment. Through new media and cognitive technologies, can also be an instrument for awakening socio-environmental awareness. What is proposed here is an (eco)tourist and educommunicative art methodology that points to the use of digital culture, re-appropriating imagination and collective memory as multimedia and hypertextual narrative tools for sharing invented and memorable ‘anthropo-topological’ experiences in historical cities in Brazil (Pirenópolis, Alto Paraíso, Cidade de Goiás). Thus, tries to create the phenomenological didactic bases of the concept of cultural landscape and territory, for the setting of the educational culture of tourism, development, communication and sustainable art.

The Spatial Perception and Spatial Feature of Rural Cultural Landscape in the Context of Rural Tourism

The development of rural tourism in the greater Xi’an area is in full swing, which is an important indicator for the implementation of rural revitalization. However, there are certain realistic challenges such as the lack of rural culture, the destruction of cultural context, and the loss of “rurality” of tourist areas. It is of vital significance to explore, integrate and revive the rural culture by advancing the rural cultural landscape based on the concept of cultural landscape in human geography. The specific categories of the rural cultural landscape were divided into three perspectives of agricultural production, famers’ lifestyle, and countryside ecology. Spatial reflections of various rural cultural landscapes were carried out based on pluralistic new data. The spatial characteristics of cultural landscapes were studied by using kernel density analysis and creating Thiessen polygons analysis and interpolation in ArcGIS spatial analysis, in order to show the spatial patterns of the special rural cultural areas and the cultural landscapes in greater Xi’an. Above all, our study inventoried and mapped the rural cultural landscapes in the context of rural tourism, identified spatial features of rural cultural landscape and rural tourism, and we proposed solutions that promote the cultural quality of rural tourism which are of vital significance in reviving rural culture.

READING THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE THROUGH THE NARRATIVE OF LÉNÁRD SÁNDOR

The following analysis will focus on the relationship between literature and the reading of the cultural landscape. Based on the analytical descriptions of Lénárd Sándor, in his titled book Völgy a Világ Végén (1967), where the author presents, among others, the description of the houses, landscapes, and relationships between different ethnic groups and with the natives. Resulting in an analysis of physical and symbolic elements that constitute the concept of cultural landscape worked on in this analysis.

Paisaje cultural patrimonializado: conceptos y aportes sobre la base de tres casos de estudio. Provincia de Mendoza, Argentina

Heritage is important always in tourism and its presentation offers various areas of analysis such as time differences, social agents involved and the geographic scale. In this research, we present the perspec‑ tives of the scientists and managers. In order to establish a parallel between both perspectives, the analysis is located in Guaymallen and Maipu, Province of Mendoza, Argentina., both of which form part of the Northern oasis and have major parts of their territory within the Metropolitan Area of Mendoza. The data provided by the institution responsible for heritage in Mendoza, are confronted with the theory and new trends in the aca‑ demic field of heritage management. The concept of cultural heritage landscape is briefly developed in order to provide a possible theoretical framework in which to permit further research on the subject.

The Urban Image Conservation and Development of Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Old Town Community in Thailand

Nakhon Si Thammarat Old Town Community dated a thousand years old from four eras of settlement development. The community is located on an ancient beach ridge that stands until the present day. It also has an image of a community that is unique to any city. Today the community is rapidly expanding, so the importance of the old town’s various elements has been diminished. The research objectives are to analyze Nakhon Si Thammarat Old Town Community’s image and landscape and provide suggestions to preserve and develop the community’s image. The methodology is theoretical concepts of the image of the city, urban landscape, historic urban landscape, and urban conservation, including field surveys to identify problems and the community’s awareness. Visual assessments and mapping were also undertaken. Based on the study, the urban conceptual framework emphasizes the five elements of physical perception, whereas the cultural landscape concept focuses on the physical perception of the community’s core components and sub-elements that express specificity of the district, including traditional custom, which is intangible culture and a landscape element as well. 
 The analysis of urban image reveals that Nakhon Si Thammarat Old Town Community consists of the path in the area with Ratchadamnoen Road, Karom Road and Pattanakarn Khukwang Road as the main routes, the edge of the community divided by natural boundaries, which are various rivers and by man-made boundaries, which are canals and the old city’s embankments, and the unique district, such as Tha Wang Community, Khaek Market Community, and Nakhon Si Thammarat Old Town. The node or activity center is, for example, business activities in Tha Wang Community, Khaek Market Community and Hua It Market Community, and the tourism activities in the old community area around Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan Temple. The prominent landmark from the past to the present is Phra Borommathat Stupda. In addition, the unique physical elements in the old town are groups of large trees. Suggestions on conservation and development are to create awareness of secondary routes to reduce congestion of the main roads and connect to other attractions; to develop the old town’s border from four eras for clearer perception; to promote the main activities within each district; and to have measures to control the height, billboards, old buildings’ styles, and new buildings representing each district’s uniqueness that will not obscure the perception of the community’s landmarks.

In search of preservation strategies for the historic cultural landscape of Karabağlar Yaylası in Muğla

Historic cultural landscapes consist of pattern of layers reflecting mutual interaction of the local people with the land through time. They have material and immaterial traces of collective practices of the initial inhabitants and a local culture. Traditional determinist approach has a tendency to split material and immaterial, natural and cultural values and evaluate them separately. However, the concept of cultural landscape has been arisen as a criticism against this duality and distinction and thereafter landscapes started to be regarded as cultural representations that are shaped by both natural and cultural values. This article explores the historic cultural landscape of Karabağlar Yaylası in a rural-urban continuum in search of preservation strategies regarding changing relations with modernization and urbanization. Karabağlar Yaylası is a semi-urban and semi-rural settlement close to Muğla city centre. The seasonal migration and socio-economical interdependency have been two significant facts that sustain the settlement. However, the historic cultural landscape of Karabağlar is under threat of urban sprawl and increasing development pressures with urbanization. Modernization tools and implementations have fragmented and transformed the distinct socio-spatial pattern of Karabağlar and destroyed its character defining features over the last five decades. In order to reveal socio-spatial transformations in Karabağlar, a survey analysis was conducted. Two similar face-to-face questionnaires carried out in 2006 and 2020 are evaluated comparatively. The questionnaires have been structured over how the inhabitants of Karabağlar perceive the space, how they develop land use and the symbolic meaning they attribute to the space. Findings related to field research and the empirical results of the questionnaires are evaluated holistically and changing social, economic and environmental relations are elaborated. To combat with the problems arising due to socio-spatial transformations, the article proposes some preservation strategies that care cultural values as far as natural values, perception of residents, collective memory, sense of community and their interaction with the land. This study has a potential to set up a research agenda in terms of preservation strategies for similar geographical settings.

Zrnosko. Cultural Landscapes and Social Economy of a Village in Mala Prespa

This paper shows the first results of a preparatory fieldwork carried out in Zrnosko, a Macedonian-speaking village in the border region of Mala Prespa, Albania. Through observations and interviews collected around the concept of cultural landscape, it offers some insights into the history of the local social economy. Among these, the longue durée role of the forest and Prespa lake in the more general social geography of the region, the heritage of the collectivistic organization under the socialist regime of Enver Hoxha, and the contemporary marginalization of the village.
 The transformations in productive activities (such as small-scale agriculture and husbandry), as well as in the social organization of the local community, seem to reproduce and reshape local cultural landscapes. The widespread narratives about the lack of jobs offer a broader understanding of the village's social geography, its historical transformations and current condition. In a similar way local toponymy, as a result of an identity-building process, seems to reflect the cultural history of the environment, its productive activities and socio-cultural configurations. The participative mapping method, carried out in dialogue with locals, offers further explorations of the influence on toponyms in villagers' spatial practices, and in local identity narratives concerning ethnic and linguistic borders.
 Both productive activities and local geography seem to influence perceptions on the organization of space and time among inhabitants, revealing their cultural forms of appropriation and socialization of the land, as well as the current perception of its increasing abandonment. A synchronic-diachronic research on productive activities and the changings in space orienting elements mutually suggest a problematic, and ongoing, process of transition to an alternative productive model, which alternates subsistence economy with peripheral and ephemeral market-oriented efforts.

The cultural landscape of coffee in Tolima, Colombia: heritage assessment, sustainability and management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the basis for a management agenda for the Tolima Coffee Cultural Landscape (CCLT) in Colombia. To this end, a delimitation model has been developed. However, the approach taken to institute the agenda of the CCLT, as a comprehensive academic and policy-based theme, is based on the formulation of a social agenda that supports its construction.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework is proposed that addresses the sociocultural complexities of the Tolima cultural landscape. This is based on an ethnohistorical approach that elucidates the development of this landscape as a collective construction of pre-Hispanic origin. Therefore, this investigation has been perceived through the theoretical and conceptual framework of the cultural landscape concept and the unique historical and cultural phenomenon that help to define all landscapes. More specifically, the authors have demonstrated the close links that exist between nature and culture, requiring increasingly accurate methods in order to adapt the landscape definition to the specific Latin American context, rather than adhering to the institutional framework proposed by UNESCO.FindingsThe assessment methods currently in use support the interpretation of a set of qualitative and quantitative attributes inherent to the Tolima region. However, additional methods still remain similar to those of the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (CCLC) that has already been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The CCLC is considered to be a representative landscape—or “type” landscape—that “mirrors” the CCLT. Taken as a whole, this theoretical construction combined with the official designation allows local communities to understand the spatial phenomena of the CCLT. This will have the effect of enabling communities at all levels, from local government to landholders and farmers, to authorize its existence and allow for its continuing development and governance. The additional approval for further academic research, combined with the totality of these elements, also has the added effect of empowering communities, their economic future and their cultural interests.Originality/valueThe management agenda that the authors are proposing may form the beginning of regional policy initiatives that reflect a positive strategy for highlighting the value of cultural heritage, thereby ensuring the protection of cultural properties and landscapes and allowing for a more sustainable environment and livelihood for its occupants.

Towards an Eco-decolonial Museology: A critical realist analysis of the crises of South African museums

South African museums face multivalent, simultaneous crises. The MELD dialectical framework of critical realist philosophy can be used to explore potential for a deep reimagining of museum theory and practice that may generate a new, relational mode better able than persistent dualist modes to respond to complex, emergent crises. This has been conceived by the author (Jeffery, 2021) as an ecological-decolonial, or eco-decolonial, mode of museology, and is further developed in the present analysis.
 At 1M, the MELD analysis surfaces the implicit neoliberal ontology of South African museum work and the emergent paradox of ‘emancipatory neoliberalism’. This paradox is generative of a number of constraints on practice and agency, including commodification of heritage, a restrictive form of official memory, and quantitative management practice. These limit potential for museums to respond to complex crises that require relational capabilities. 
 2E explores the potential negation of these constraints. To disrupt the principle of collection as the grounding ontological activity of museum practice may disrupt the implicit neoliberal ontology. This may contribute to emergent, sophisticated socialecological trends in museum practice, both in South Africa and internationally.
 At 3L, a dialectical view on the concept of cultural landscape offers a relational frame for an eco-decolonial museum practice that may better respond to the crises faced by museums. The practical implications of the eco-decolonial approach are considered at 4D.
 Keywords: museum practice, critical realism, ontology, eco-decolonial, collection, cultural landscape