Stolen Art Trafficker-Sotheby's
Over at
Aachronym:
Sotheby's is trafficking in stolen goods and it is doing so without any concern for the fact of its brazen criminality. It is clear that the Benin artworks are a contested collection of cultural artifacts. The history of their plunder from Benin is not in doubt, and the Benin Kingdom has never at any time given up its claim to these artworks. There has been significant amount of words written about the history of the British plunder of Benin and why the artworks should be repatriated. How is it then that despite the constant requests for the repatriation of these artworks and their clear identification as stolen goods, they continue to be sold by firms such as Sotheby’s without any hesitation?
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1 comments:
The issue needs to be put in perspective for those not involved in the art world. Let me make an analogy. Imagine if African tourists stole historical artifacts from Buckingham Palace or the White House or the Vatican and took them back to their country to display as art in a museum or gallery. We would not hesitate to identify that as a crime. What has happened to thousands of pieces of African artifacts is no different.
The general public needs to start asking important questions about Africans items when they see them on exhibit in museums. How were these items originally aquired? What is the difference between art and artifacts? How have the countries of origin benefitted from these items being exhibited?
I want to commend those involved in bringing attention to this issue. This is not just about the physical items. It’s about justice. It’s about dignity. It’s about eliminating neo-colonial, imperialist attitudes. It’s about Africa becoming self-reliant.
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