A video within this article from the New York Times shows the former Center for Contemporary Art in Baghdad, and the “manager” discusses problems the museum faces.
Professor M. Och
ARTH 114 and ARTH 115: Introduction to Western Art, University of Mary Washington
When I watched the video and read the article, I felt sad about what had happened. The art they have on display is gorgeous and should be appreciated by its people. While I understand the curators and museum “officials'” frustrations, it is also understandable why the government can’t really do much to help them out. But, their continued efforts to preserve and display those gorgeous pieces of work will payoff at a later date when the country is more stable. When I read that many of the works are deteriorating in storage due to the poor conditions, it made me think that they should loan the paintings out to other countries like the US who could display them over here but also store them in proper conditions. Once the country is stable again or the museum has a better storage facilities, those countries could give the pieces of work back to them. While it isn’t an ideal solution, it is one that preserves their art and culture which is their ultimate goal.