The return of objects taken during colonial times is an urgent moral imperative that must be addressed, but there is plenty to discuss, debate, and resolve within Africa, not just the West.
Many difficult questions arise:
- How to balance the interest and strong moral claims of traditional rulers and communities that are directly affected by the appropriation of cultural objects with the mandates of more recently formed African nation-states and regulatory agencies?
- What does it mean if an artifact has been elevated to the status of an object of national importance or world heritage?
- How does the question of the monetary value of African cultural objects as art objects affect the restitution debate?
- What responsibilities are inherent in the safe-keeping or display of such objects, and on whose shoulders should these responsibilities be placed?
- What should be done with an artifact that was a museum object in the West but has its origins in ceremony, ritual, or other utilitarian function in Africa?
- To what extent is linking to original purpose relevant or required to complete the restitution process?
Courtesy MOWAA. Photograph: Tolulope Sanusi.
What art and artefacts we end up holding will be decided over years to come as these questions are addressed, and as we hopefully earn the trust of stakeholders and relevant authorities.
But our goal as a museum should not and cannot be to serve as a static monument to victimhood or Western atonement.
We exist to empower West African creatives, scholars, and communities thrive through the formation of connections, platforms, and knowledge bases.
Latest news:
The opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Nigeria has been postponed until further notice after protesters disrupted a preview event in a political row over the museum’s title and mission.
