Tristam Hunt (V&A, London):
The provenance of each individual artefact is different: not everything was looted or stolen. Objective, detailed research is vital.
What is more, with digital technologies and ease of global freight transport, we should think much more creatively about innovative sharing practices beyond the current, zero-sum discourse.
There is much to be done to build a more equitable distribution of collections – as well as curatorial practice, conservation techniques and education – between the Global North and South, but a political assault on the idea of universal museums is not the answer.
