Lives of Objects: Virtual Gatherings

What are the ongoing effects of colonialism and the extraction of cultural heritage on African societies? How have African-led initiatives and research been advancing restitution work in the past and present? How can restitution address and redress historical violence? What happens after cultural heritage has been recovered? The complex process of restitution and its multiple possible meanings - repatriation, rematriation, remembering, restoration and reparation - are laid bare in our new four-part online event series, Lives of Objects: Virtual Gatherings curated by Sofia Lovegrove. Over the next two months, four thoughtfully chosen “living objects” of cultural, artistic and historical significance will trigger open dialogues around these topics, with participants invited to join online from anywhere in the world. 

The four objects in focus include: the comics of the Egypt’s Dispersed Heritage project, Zulu beadwork, the digital entry of a bronze bust on the Digital Benin platform, and a painting by Zambian multidisciplinary artist Mwamba Chikwemba; with the aim to stimulate four multi-layered discussions moderated by Sherry Davis and led by cultural workers, artists, researchers, and leaders in their fields. For gathering #1, On Reorienting Restitution, five speakers from five African countries will gather to explore the historical and current African-led work on restitution. Meanwhile, gathering #2, On Building Caring Relations, invites one Mancube community member from KwaZulu Natal, South Africa and museum curators from Manchester and Pretoria to consider the changing role of the museum and the ways in which they can help forge more equitable relationships. Next, we’ll consider the role of digitality and the digital world in the ongoing debates about restitution with gathering #3, On Digital Access and Ownership, before wrapping things up with our final discussion, gathering #4 On Rematriation. Here, we will explore what restitution signifies from the perspective of women, their knowledge, spiritual worlds and lived experiences.

These Virtual Gatherings are part of the wider Lives of Objects programme.


A project by the Goethe-Institut.
Curated by Sofia Lovegrove. 
Digital strategy and Production by Digital & Nomad.
Visual design by Eno Inyangete.