By RFPosted on 20-11-2018Modified on 20-11-2018 at 19:13

New on the thorny issue of the return of African cultural property held by French museums. The French president had announced that he would implement temporary and definitive restitution within five years. Emmanuel Macron had named Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr with a mission to reflect on the return of these works of art in Africa. They must submit their report Friday to the Head of State, but the French magazine Le Point was able to have access to the good sheets. A document that may cause a stir.

Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr will they anger Emmanuel Macron? In the letter of mission addressed to the two rapporteurs, the president clearly evoked the circulation of the works going up to possible refunds. Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr, says Le Point , would have retained only the term restitution perennial. And for the two specialists, we restore when there was theft, village, spoliation, etc. and logically there must be repair, restoration.

From there to talk about badly acquired, there is only one step. Some art historians point to the narrow-mindedness of Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr, who voluntarily ignore the existence of a market and therefore of African merchants. All objects in French museums are not war booty. The authors' approach would be partly condescending and would ignore part of the historical reality. In dotted line, reading the report, a question arises: what will remain, for example, at the musée du quai Branly? One idea that some people think is a little crazy is this: the making of doubles whose charge "auratic" would be provided by mechanisms of narrative.

    On the same subject

    At UNESCO, Africa pleads for the return of its cultural property

    France-Benin: the project for the restitution of cultural property is ongoing

    Restitution of cultural property in Benin: the Cran goes to the creneau

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