Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Returning colonial looted art to its countries of origin


Colonial looted art is finally being returned to its countries of origin. But new problems lie ahead, as former colonies now fear the return of looted art may take the place of a comprehensive reparation for colonial crimes. The documentary shows how the return of looted art leads to new disputes. One example is Nigeria. In move that would’ve been considered unthinkable just a few years ago, Germany is returning a large part of the disputed Benin bronzes to Nigeria. For years, legal arguments had been made as to why the bronzes were "rightfully" in Germany despite colonial crimes. Now, however, a heightened awareness of post-colonialism moral obligations is increasingly determining action.

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