We may not all agree with Zahi Hawass in his style and manner of approach to the issue of restitution of stolen or looted artefacts but there is no denying that the famous Egyptologist, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, has been extremely effective in his tasks and knows his job. Article by Kwame Opoku. Read the rest of this entry »
In recent months, some writers such as James Cuno have been throwing about the accusation of nationalism as if it were such a bad phenomenon for culture or, indeed, as if it were incompatible with culture or somehow bad for cultural development. A comment by Kwame Opoku. [Full Text Article, pdf]
Many Europeans would agree that African art inspired Picasso, Juan Gris, Arman, Braque, Matisse, Kandinsky, Kirchner, Modigliani, Paul Klee, Moore and Giacometti and others but they do not realize or take into account that some of these masterpieces now held in Europe could also inspire young African artists who now have no chance of seeing the masterpieces of their culture. By Kwame Opoku. [Full Text Article]
Kwame Opoku comments on the “Songs of Praise” for the British Museum. We have witnessed within the last few days a spate of articles, all praising in fulsome language the British Museum and its director, Neil MacGregor. It can be assumed that the publication of these article within such a short period is no sheer coincidence but part of a carefully orchestrated campaign to boost the popularity of the British Museum and the prestige of its director. But why now? Read the rest of this entry »
Kwame Opoku reviews Ben Macintyre’s article “Let’s all have tickets to the universal museum”, published in Timesonline, July 10, 2008. He concludes that it is one of those articles appearing regularly in Western media, appearing to espouse an internationalism and a universalism that, at first sight would appeal to many persons. However, on reflection, one realizes that, perhaps without consciously desiring to do so, they propagate a very narrow vision of the world and are generally oblivious of the needs and feelings of other peoples and cultures in the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Kwame Opoku comments on the article “How one cultural vision has lessons for the whole world” by Tristram Hunt, a Lecturer in History at University of London. The mentioned article was published in the Observer, July 6, 2008. Read the rest of this entry »
Kwame Opoku critically looks at James Cuno’s recent statements regarding “credible museums” and “non-credible museums” and asks what precisely Cuno means by these terms remembering that recent events have shown that major and prestigious museums in the USA cannot be trusted to have acquired their antiquities in an entirely legal mode. Read the rest of this entry »
Boubacar Boris Diop rend hommage à Ousmane Sembène, qui nous a quittés le 9 juin 2007, sans avoir jamais assigné la moindre limite à son mépris du qu’en-dira-t-on. A quatre-vingt-cinq ans, il se sentait si bien dans sa peau, qu’il se faisait appeler par dérision, l’«Aîné des Anciens». Le fait est, cependant, qu’il a vécu très longtemps en réussissant à préserver sa jeunesse d’esprit. [Pambazuka]
In order to deny States the right to control excavations on their land and to prevent them from claiming ownership of artefacts found in their countries, James Cuno, Director of the Art Institute of Chicago, in his new book goes so far as to deny any continuity between the peoples of present States and those of ancient civilizations. [Full Text Article, pdf]
In the case of request for restitution of stolen objects in the British Museum, the question of legal ownership - a question which is fundamental to all claims of property - is not even posed. The main question here is whether the British Museum can afford to dispense with the object in question i.e. whether it can and will de-accession the object. By Kwame Opoku. [Full Text Article, pdf]