English
Deutsch
In the exhibition Loot . 10 Stories, initiated by the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Humboldt Forum presents from 22. March 2024, ten case studies focused on looted art across three historical epochs: the Napoleonic Wars, the colonial era, and Nazi Germany. All the objects on show have their own provenance stories, which here stand in for countless others. In an artistic intervention, guest curators and creative directors Eline Jongsma and Kel O’Neill bring these stories to life using videos, virtual reality, and texts, showing possible approaches to objects like these in the museum context. Some of these artefacts are from Berlin collections in the Stadtmuseum Berlin, the Ethnologisches Museum, and the Gipsformerei (Replica Workshop). A Späti on 22 March and a Day of Debate on 23 March will also address the themes of looting, restitution, and museums working together on addressing the provenance of artefacts.
Art and other objects are mirrors of historical and social development. Sometimes they tell of love, solidarity, or the future. But they also regularly tell stories of violence, abuse, and robbery. Napoleon reinforced his own power by displaying looted art treasures at his Musée Napoleon. Hitler had art confiscated to stock his planned museum. And particularly in the context of their years of colonial rule and exploitation, the …
Continue reading the article on DEEDS.NEWS
Image above: Still from the VR Quadriga on top of the Brandenburger Tor, © Jongsma + O’Neill
