no :

Super Clone Cultural Properties
Important cultural artifacts have been reproduced/and put on display in a series of exhibits/called “Super Clone Cultural Properties.” The exhibits feature clones of important cultural artifacts,/created by Professor Miyasako Masaaki/in a project he directs at Tokyo University of the Arts. What does it mean to “clone” a work of art? What is the purpose?
　　Professor Miyasako talks with Rie Davidson,/host of the popular podcast,/“Rie’s Gallery.”

Rie (R) :

Welcome to “Rie’s Gallery,”/Professor Miyasako.

Miyasako (M) :

I’m delighted to be here,/Ms. Davidson. May I call you “Rie-san”?

R :

Please do! Most of my guests just call me Rie.

M :

I know. I’m a regular listener.

R :

Your “Super Clone Cultural Properties” exhibits/have been a great success. Congratulations! Now,/my first question for you is:/What made you decide to create cloned cultural assets?

M :

The short answer is:/To keep great art safe/and, at the same time,/to make it accessible to as many people as possible.

R :

And the long answer?

M :

Museums face a dilemma. We need to preserve cultural properties. At the same time,/we want to make them available to the public. Unfortunately,/for reasons of security and preservation,/people have only limited access to them.

R :

An impossible dilemma! But you have a solution?

M :

We are challenging the impossible. With our clone technology,/we can exhibit the clone and keep the original safe,/all at the same time.

R :

That’s ingenious. But I have a question. Why do you call these reproductions “clones”? Are they any different from ordinary replicas?

M :

Good question! The term “clone” is usually used to refer to living things,/as in the case of Dolly the sheep. So we are not using “clone” in the original sense. But I couldn’t think of anything more accurate/to describe our creations. They really are “clones.”