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#Restitutions: Art objects in question
Beyond the aesthetic value in a glass case, many artifacts hold spiritual and political roles that often get silenced by traditional Western history. Join us for an essential deep dive into the ethics of repatriation and rediscover the true meaning behind these displaced masterpieces.
Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (Paris 6th)
About
The Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme hosts the fourth installment of the #Restitutions event series. This session invites attendees to rethink the history of art objects and ritual items held in museums beyond traditional Western perspectives. By examining the cultural and social significance attributed to these pieces, speakers aim to deconstruct established narratives and foster a better dialogue with origin communities. This event is free to attend on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, from 19:00 to 21:00. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible, ensuring that all participants can comfortably join the discussion.
Art objects, ritual objects, memory objects: how can we rethink their history beyond the categories that have shaped our view of art and heritage?
What is being returned when an object is given back to its community of origin? Beyond legal and political issues, the question of restitution invites us to examine the very status of objects kept in museums, the narratives surrounding them, and the perspectives through which they are viewed.
The fourth discussion in the cycle #Restitutions. A new definition of the world offers a multidisciplinary reflection on the notions of "artwork" and "art object," taking into account the cultural, ritual, political, and social meanings that communities attribute to these items. Many assets presented today as art objects in museums of former colonial powers originally served ritual, political, or social functions. Their exhibition has contributed to transforming their status.
Emmanuel Kasarhérou, President of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and Didier Houénoudé, professor of art history at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, will discuss how history has shaped what we consider to be "art" and "heritage" and will seek to deconstruct these legacies to better engage with communities of origin.
The discussion will be moderated by journalist Valérie Nivelon (RFI).
The speakers
Didier Houénoudé is a professor of art history at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. His interests include contemporary African art, heritage issues, and their reappropriation by source communities (restitution of African cultural property), urban planning, and the development of African cities. A guest professor at the Technische Universität Dresden in Germany (2023-2024), he served as interim deputy director of the Dresden State Ethnographic Collections (2025) and is a member of the advisory board of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation). He is also Vice-President of the International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM) and holds the UNESCO Chair: Returns and restitutions of African cultural property: heritage, communities and cultural rights. Didier Houénoudé is the author of numerous articles and books on Beninese art and cultural heritage.
Emmanuel Kasarhérou is a general curator of heritage and president of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. After studying history and archaeology in Paris, he was appointed curator of the New Caledonia Museum in 1985. In 1994, he joined the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture (ADCK) and participated in the design of the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, serving as its director general from 2006 to 2011. He subsequently joined the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, where he notably designed the exhibition "Kanak: Art is a language," before being appointed deputy director of heritage and collections in 2014. He was appointed president of the museum on May 27, 2020.
Journalist and sound documentarian, Valérie Nivelon conducts historical investigations and participates in scientific memorial research programs. Using sound archives and testimonies, she produces radio stories from the perspective of the actors and witnesses to tell history differently. She has been traveling regularly in Africa for over 20 years and participates in highlighting female figures of history.
Valérie Nivelon received the Scam prize for the best radio program in 2011.
#Restitutions. A new definition of the world
A series of meetings co-designed and moderated by Valérie Nivelon (at the initiative of the podcast Africaines Queens and the program La Marche du monde on RFI).
On June 7, 1978, Amadou Mahtar Mbow, the first African Director-General of UNESCO, issued a "solemn appeal" to all governments, cultural institutions, museums, libraries, historians, and artists for the restitution of cultural property to its countries of origin. Nearly 50 years after this founding appeal, what is the status of the return issue?
The cycle "#Restitutions. A new definition of the world" provides a space for reflection and dialogue on the issues of restitution of art and cultural property acquired in contexts of violence and domination, as well as the challenges of memory, justice, and the circulation of heritage that they raise. Through seven meetings bringing together researchers, legal experts, curators, and cultural actors, the cycle aims to provide keys to understanding and contribute to fairer, more concerted, and sustainable practices.
Our take on this event
As part of the #Restitutions: A Different Definition of the World series, this event explores the implications of returning cultural assets acquired during periods of historical violence. Nearly 50 years after the landmark appeal by Amadou Mahtar Mbow for the repatriation of cultural property, this panel discussion addresses the ongoing challenges regarding memory, justice, and heritage circulation.
The session features a conversation between Emmanuel Kasarhérou, President of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and Didier Houénoudé, a professor at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. Their dialogue focuses on how historical forces have redefined ritual and political objects as art, and how institutions can work toward more equitable practices with source communities. The discussion will be moderated by journalist and documentarian Valérie Nivelon.
The event takes place on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, from 19:00 to 21:00 at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in the 6th arrondissement. Attendance is free, and the location is wheelchair accessible. This meeting is one of seven sessions designed to provide insight into the complex processes of institutional restitution.
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