South African Video Game "Relooted" Turns Restitution Into a Heist Adventure
In "Relooted," players engage in heists aimed at reclaiming African cultural artifacts from Western museums. This game, crafted by the Johannesburg-based studio Nyamakop over a span of eight years, unfolds in a fictional 22nd century. Players join a team led by retired South African art historian Professor Grace, utilizing intelligence and technology to infiltrate museums. It showcases 70 authentic African cultural items, complete with details about their origins. Inspired by his mother's indignation regarding the Nereid Monument at the British Museum, CEO Ben Myres has ignited discussions reflected in exhibitions at the Manchester Museum and UCLA's Fowler Museum. South African art historian Pitika Ntuli commends the game for fostering participatory restitution and challenging colonial narratives. Europe currently possesses 90% of Africa's cultural heritage, with restitution efforts ongoing.
Key facts
- "Relooted" is a video game developed by Johannesburg studio Nyamakop over eight years.
- Players steal back African cultural objects from European and American museums and private collections in a fictional 22nd-century setting.
- The game features 70 real African cultural objects, each with information about its origin and significance.
- The crew is led by retired South African art historian Professor Grace and uses intelligence, technology, and deception instead of weapons.
- CEO and creative director Ben Myres was inspired by his mother's outrage at seeing the Nereid Monument from present-day Turkey at the British Museum in London.
- In the six months since release, the Manchester Museum and the Fowler Museum at UCLA have hosted exhibitions of the game with panel discussions.
- UNESCO estimates that Europe holds 90 percent of African cultural heritage.
- Germany and France are actively working on restitution, with the Benin Bronzes from present-day Nigeria as a prominent example.
Entities
Artists
- Ben Myres
- Pitika Ntuli
- bell hooks
- Professor Grace
- Matteo Lupetti
Institutions
- Nyamakop
- UNESCO
- British Museum
- Manchester Museum
- Fowler Museum
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Epic Games Store
- Nintendo
- The Parliament
- Artribune
- Scuola Internazionale di Comics di Firenze
- Gravure
- FISAR
Locations
- Johannesburg
- South Africa
- Europe
- North America
- Africa
- Nigeria
- Germany
- France
- Turkey
- London
- England
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Netherlands
- Regno del Benin
- sub-Saharan Africa
- Western museums
- Windows