As stated by the Collections Trust, restitution is the process by which cultural objects are returned to an individual or a community, while repatriation is the process by which cultural objects are returned to a nation or State at the request of a government.
Today, it is estimated that 80-90% of Africa’s cultural heritage can be found in European museums, many of which were looted during the colonial period. In France only, the 2019 Sarr-Savoye report commissioned by the Head of State on "The restitution of African cultural heritage” reveals that more than 90,000 objects from sub-Saharan Africa are currently being held in French public collections, which arrived for the most during the colonial period and came from spoils of war, looting, scientific expeditions or various acquisitions.
Since the Independence era, many African countries have initiated efforts to proceed to the return of looted artefacts. This is the case of Nigeria, for example, where 2 artefacts from the “Benin Bronze” collection looted by the British army in 1897 returned to their country of origin in 2014; or more recently the case of Benin, where 26 artworks from the royal treasures of Abomey looted in the 19th century by French colonial troops were returned to Benin in 2021.
While these initiatives are a good start towards restitution and repatriation of African heritage, they do not make us forget the large number of artefacts still held outside of the continent. This is the theme that we are inviting you to discuss throughout this month.
Weeks 1 & 2
For the first topic of discussion of this month, we are looking at museums, as guarantor institutions of the acquisition, conservation and valorisation of cultural artefacts, and we ask the question:
What is the role of museums in the restitution/ repatriation efforts of artefacts illegally carried away from their communities ?
Weeks 3 & 4
For the second topic of discussion of this month, we are focusing on the acts of restitution and repatriation of African artefacts, and we ask the question:
How do we ensure we are ready for the returned artefacts?
