Black Land, Red Land – Restitute: Berlin Festival on Restitution of Looted Artifacts

From December 21 to 28, Berlin hosts Black Land, Red Land – Restitute, a festival dedicated to the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during colonial expeditions. The event takes place at Kunstquartier Bethanien and Palais am Festungdgraben, featuring new commissions by artists Yara Mekawei, Hani Mojtahedy, Cevdet Erek, Attila Csihar, Lea Draeger, and Houaïda. These works explore Egyptian history, mythology, and themes of belonging. Talks and roundtables involve professionals including Fazil Moradi, Monica Hanna, Nora Al-Badri, Léontine Meijer-Van Mensch, Saraya Gomis, Johannes Auenmüller, Elena Sinanina, and Yara Mekawei, with participation from the Museo Egizio di Torino. Artistic director Elena Sinanina explains that the festival originated from research on Sekhmet statues at the Museo Egizio. A 3D-printed replica of a Turin Sekhmet, named Sakhmet, has been in Berlin since August 2023 and will embark on an international tour after the festival. Sinanina emphasizes the importance of open collaboration and the idea that such artifacts transcend ownership and categorization.