While the dominant discourse on restitution has often been built around the simplistic dichotomy between “claimants” and “holders,” entire aspects of the issue have been ignored, neglecting the multiplicity of actors, claims, and processes of reappropriation within the communities of origin.
The polysemy of these “things” is difficult to perceive and understand using the analytical categories employed by museologists and art historians. In this context, even their ritual functions, social values, and cosmogonic meanings are ignored.
The debate is further stifled by the legal, technical, and conceptual argument put forward by the “holders” that these objects cannot be returned, thereby undermining the agency of African societies in the management and promotion of their heritage.
It is therefore relevant to proceed with an epistemological shift that allows us to question the very foundations of the different categories and arguments.
Deadline 10 September 2025
