The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, is pleased to host the second lecture in the Restitution and Reparation: Africa and the Post-Colonial Condition Fellowship series, supported by Open Society Foundations.
Professor Didier Gondola, Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellow at The Africa Institute and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, will present “Provenance & Restitution: Africa Museum and its Colonial Legacy” on Thursday, April 24, 2025 (3:30 PM to 5:30 PM) at The Africa Institute Auditorium (location map).
The session is free and open to the public. Register to attend.
In 2018, the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, Belgium—one of Europe’s oldest and most prominent ethnographic museums—reopened its doors after five years of extensive renovation, aiming to shed its colonial legacy and embrace a more critical, decolonial narrative. This ambitious makeover, however, has been met with skepticism and criticism from various quarters, including activists, scholars, and even some members of the Museum’s own staff. They argue that, despite its makeover, AfricaMuseum continues to grapple with the deep-rooted structures of its colonial past. Rather than approaching this project as an art historian, this analysis is informed by a background in traditional archival research, offering a critical reflection on the provenance of the Museum’s African collections. This examination goes beyond the aesthetics of display to interrogate the historical conditions under which these objects were acquired. By tracing their often-contentious origins, this study highlights the enduring power dynamics that continue to shape the Museum’s relationship with African communities. Finally, potential avenues for restitution, are explored considering not only the return of physical objects but also the broader implications of epistemological and cultural repatriation. In doing so, this analysis seeks to contribute to the ongoing conversation about how museums can move beyond cosmetic change to embrace genuine decolonial transformation.
Didier Gondola is a Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, USA. His scholarly work spans popular cultures, masculinities, and the African Diaspora, with a specific focus on the 20th century and the socio-cultural impacts of Chinese commodities in urban Africa.
Gondola is a recipient of the Ali Mazrui Senior Fellowship in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute (GSU). During his residency, he is developing three articles on gender ventriloquism in Congolese rumba lyrics, the objects of China Africa, and the intersection of public transportation, sociality, and religious discourse in Kinshasa. Read more.
Salah M. Hassan is the Chancellor of Global Studies University (GSU) and Dean of The Africa Institute, Sharjah. In addition to his roles in Sharjah, Hassan is a Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Africana Studies at Cornell University, where he also serves as the Director of the Institute for Comparative Modernities (ICM) and a Professor of Art History and Visual Culture. His academic and curatorial expertise spans several decades, contributing significantly to the fields of Africana studies and contemporary African art. Read more.
This lecture is part of the Restitution and Reparation: Africa and the Post-Colonial Condition Fellowship, an annual program that brings together scholars and practitioners to engage with restitution and repatriation issues related to African art and artifacts. The fellowship supports research and dialogue on cultural heritage, historical accountability, and the return of looted artifacts to their rightful homes in Africa. Applications for the fellowship are currently open. Visit our fellowships program to learn more.
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, is pleased to host the second lecture in the Restitution and Reparation: Africa and the Post-Colonial Condition Fellowship series, supported by Open Society Foundations.
The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, is pleased to host the second lecture in the Restitution and Reparation: Africa and the Post-Colonial Condition Fellowship series, supported by Open Society Foundations.
Professor Didier Gondola, Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellow at The Africa Institute and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, will present “Provenance & Restitution: Africa Museum and its Colonial Legacy” on Thursday, April 24, 2025 (3:30 PM to 5:30 PM) at The Africa Institute Auditorium (location map).
The session is free and open to the public. Register to attend.
In 2018, the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, Belgium—one of Europe’s oldest and most prominent ethnographic museums—reopened its doors after five years of extensive renovation, aiming to shed its colonial legacy and embrace a more critical, decolonial narrative. This ambitious makeover, however, has been met with skepticism and criticism from various quarters, including activists, scholars, and even some members of the Museum’s own staff. They argue that, despite its makeover, AfricaMuseum continues to grapple with the deep-rooted structures of its colonial past. Rather than approaching this project as an art historian, this analysis is informed by a background in traditional archival research, offering a critical reflection on the provenance of the Museum’s African collections. This examination goes beyond the aesthetics of display to interrogate the historical conditions under which these objects were acquired. By tracing their often-contentious origins, this study highlights the enduring power dynamics that continue to shape the Museum’s relationship with African communities. Finally, potential avenues for restitution, are explored considering not only the return of physical objects but also the broader implications of epistemological and cultural repatriation. In doing so, this analysis seeks to contribute to the ongoing conversation about how museums can move beyond cosmetic change to embrace genuine decolonial transformation.
Didier Gondola is a Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, USA. His scholarly work spans popular cultures, masculinities, and the African Diaspora, with a specific focus on the 20th century and the socio-cultural impacts of Chinese commodities in urban Africa.
Gondola is a recipient of the Ali Mazrui Senior Fellowship in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute (GSU). During his residency, he is developing three articles on gender ventriloquism in Congolese rumba lyrics, the objects of China Africa, and the intersection of public transportation, sociality, and religious discourse in Kinshasa. Read more.
Salah M. Hassan is the Chancellor of Global Studies University (GSU) and Dean of The Africa Institute, Sharjah. In addition to his roles in Sharjah, Hassan is a Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Africana Studies at Cornell University, where he also serves as the Director of the Institute for Comparative Modernities (ICM) and a Professor of Art History and Visual Culture. His academic and curatorial expertise spans several decades, contributing significantly to the fields of Africana studies and contemporary African art. Read more.
This lecture is part of the Restitution and Reparation: Africa and the Post-Colonial Condition Fellowship, an annual program that brings together scholars and practitioners to engage with restitution and repatriation issues related to African art and artifacts. The fellowship supports research and dialogue on cultural heritage, historical accountability, and the return of looted artifacts to their rightful homes in Africa. Applications for the fellowship are currently open. Visit our fellowships program to learn more.
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