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“Looted Art: taking African cultural heritage restitution forward”—panel discussion just getting going at Paris Peace Forum
Quite the euphemism in the French translation of this panel title—eat your heart out, British “contested history” museum programmes. #artmalacquis
Leopoldo Amado indicating that Ecowas will be taking major collaborative steps on African cultural restitution.
Positive comments on restitution from Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of Culture and Emergencies for UNESCO, underlining their potential role in cross-cultural brokering.
More on speakers here
Andreas Görgen, Director-General for Culture, Federal Republic of Germany making a passionate call for cultural restitution beyond the frame of nation states.
Achille Mbembe now calling for justice through restitution for Europe’s sustained thefts from the continent of Africa. “The @quaibranly might hold European war trophies—but they are still African objects, you can’t change that.”
A lively and sophisticated debate now between Ines de Castro of @LindenMuseum and Achille Mbembe about whether knowledge lost through violence and theft can ever be restituted.
Mbembe: looted objects were previously kept in very different environments from museums before their theft. We need to reimagine where artworks might be best cared for.
Amado: if you question the authenticity of communities you must do the same for nation states. This is above all a question of dignity.
Amado: Ecowas are determined to put restitution into practice.
An intervention from the floor by the Republic of Benin’s Ambassador to France. “Returning objects to where they once lived is the task in hand. Much knowledge is not lost. Knowledge of the sovereign power if a king’s baton for example.”
Ambassador: defence of restitution to the Republic of Benin not the Kingdom of Abomey. “We have adopted a cultural development approach—a tourist economy model. Just like you pay to gain entry to tje @quaibranly! We must build new museums. We’re not activists—Ecowas are nations!”
Question ftom the floor for Amado: “How will Ecowas legally protect repatriated artworks from illicit trade?
Question ftom the floor for Ines de Castro: “please clarify @LindenMuseum’s position on transparency”
Question ftom the floor for Mbembe: “is there a discussion around the Church’s role in taking these objects and its responsibilities around restitution?”
Mbembe: “museums deactivate artworks that need to be set free. We need a new African model for the museum as an institution. This is s political question”
De Castro: “we need to tell new stories about objects that remain in European museums - not solely focus on Africa”
ENDS (and now the politics begins!
