Decolonizing Museums: From Quai Branly to Tervuren

The focus of the article is on the decolonization efforts within European museums, particularly regarding the return of African artifacts and the revision of colonial narratives. It highlights the 1953 film Les Statues Meurent Aussi by Alain Resnais and Chris Marker, which condemned the exhibition of African art devoid of context. Approximately 90% of Africa's cultural heritage resides outside the continent. The discussion gained momentum following French President Emmanuel Macron's speech in Burkina Faso in 2017, where he promised to return African heritage within five years. The Sarr-Savoy report from France and provenance studies in the Netherlands and Germany are noted. Additionally, it contrasts the Musée du Quai Branly, established in 2006, with the Royal Museum for Central Africa, which reopened in December 2018, acknowledging its colonial history. The article also mentions Italy's return of the Axum obelisk to Ethiopia in 2005 and the planned reopening of the Museo delle Civiltà in 2021 under Filippo Maria Gambari.