Bénédicte Savoy's 'Africa's Struggle for Its Art' Examines 1970s-80s Restitution Debates and Colonial Resistance
Bénédicte Savoy's book 'Africa's Struggle for Its Art' analyzes the initial restitution debates from the mid-1960s to mid-1980s, revealing how European nations obstructed African claims. Drawing from her 2018 report with Felwine Sarr, Savoy details paternalism and bigotry masked by universalist rhetoric in museum and government archives, particularly from West Germany. The work highlights collective amnesia around these early discussions, which resurfaced recently. A 1985 exhibition by the Nigerian National Museum in East Berlin exemplified rare African curatorial control. Savoy argues current restitution conversations occur in a neoliberal context, contrasting with past anticolonial politics, while economic disparities persist. Published by Princeton University Press, the hardcover costs $29.95.
Key facts
- Bénédicte Savoy authored 'Africa's Struggle for Its Art', published by Princeton University Press.
- The book covers restitution debates from the mid-1960s to mid-1980s.
- Savoy co-authored the influential 2018 report 'The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage' with Felwine Sarr.
- European countries like Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium resisted African restitution claims.
- Archival research includes correspondence from West Germany, revealing biases among officials.
- A 1985 exhibition in East Berlin involved the Nigerian National Museum and Staatliche Museen.
- Savoy frames the 1970s-80s debates as subject to collective amnesia.
- The hardcover book is priced at $29.95.
Entities
Artists
- Bénédicte Savoy
- Felwine Sarr
Institutions
- Princeton University Press
- Nigerian National Museum
- Staatliche Museen
- UN
- UNESCO
Locations
- Africa
- Britain
- France
- Germany
- Belgium
- West Germany
- East Berlin
- GDR
- Nigeria