Should Museums Repatriate Cultural Artifacts?

Debate streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Topics: Culture, Law

For centuries, major museums in Europe and the U.S. built their collections during eras of empire, conquest, and unequal power. Today, many institutions face growing pressure to return artifacts acquired through colonial rule, war, or coercion. From the Benin Bronzes to the Parthenon Marbles and Indigenous objects, should museums repatriate cultural treasures—and is restitution the best way to confront how these collections were built?

Those in support of repatriation argue that many objects were taken under conditions that would now be considered illegitimate, and returning them is a step toward correcting historical injustice. These objects may also hold sacred or cultural significance that belongs within the communities that created them. However, those against repatriation counter that some artifacts were legally purchased or have disputed ownership histories. They also argue that museums serve a global public, and such works represent shared human heritage that should remain accessible to the widest audience.

With this context, we debate the question: Should Museums Repatriate Cultural Artifacts?

This debate was recorded during an exclusive livestream event for paid subscribers ahead of its public premiere. Learn more about the paid benefits here.

ARGUING YES:

• Chika Okeke-Agulu: Artist, Curator, and Professor of Art and Archaeology and African American Studies at Princeton University

• Leila Amineddoleh: Art and Cultural Heritage Lawyer; Chair of the Firm’s Art Law Group at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin

ARGUING NO:

• Dominic Selwood: Historian: Author, Journalist, and Barrister

• Mario Trabucco della Torretta: Classical Archaeologist

MODERATOR-IN-CHIEF:

• John Donvan: Emmy award-winning journalist