Welcome to the New Era of Restitution and Repatriation

Over the last several years, countries in the Global South, from Nigeria to Mexico, have pursued the return of treasures looted by colonizers with renewed vigor, while some European governments have passed laws or formed new agreements to disband portions of their national collections. If art and artifacts in museums like the Louvre or the British Museum are the symbols of a bygone era, it appears that former colonial powers are begining to use them to make symbolic amends for transgressions long past.

In the United States, meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has made it its mission to seize looted artifacts and bring antiquities collectors and dealers to heel. And, after the US government adjusted regulations around Indigenous artifacts and remains, museums are scrambling to be compliant.

While the future may still be uncertain, it has become clear that we’ve entered a new era. Over the next week, ARTnews will explore all the facets of this new world and the power players that make it run.

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