Colonialism and African Art: Restitution Debates and a Three-Point Manifesto

The article by Federico Silvio Bellanca on Artribune examines the complex legacy of colonialism in African art, focusing on restitution debates. It critiques Western paternalism in global art discourse, noting that major European museum collections—like the Egyptian artifacts at the Louvre and Turin, or the Parthenon Marbles at the British Museum—originate from colonial extraction. The paradox of the Priam's Treasure, excavated by Schliemann in Troy, taken to Berlin, then looted by the Soviet Army in 1945, and now split between Moscow's Pushkin Museum and St. Petersburg's Hermitage, illustrates the tangled history of ownership. The article highlights a 2021 manifesto by Christian Kader Keita, author of "Sur le chemin de la restitution des œuvres aux Africains," published by Sydney Laurent Editions. Keita criticizes France's unilateral management of restitution through the Agence française de développement (AFD) since July 2021, calling it paternalistic. He proposes three points: creating a special status for objects stolen via colonialism, listing them with the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to prevent sale before restitution, and establishing a fund (FDSPA) to restore and build museums in Africa. The article concludes that African art's influence—from Picasso to Modigliani—should be acknowledged both at home and abroad, despite its painful colonial origins.