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Podcast: New Books in Art
Episode: Jos van Beurden, "Inconvenient Heritage: Colonial Collections and Restitution in the Netherlands and Belgium" (Amsterdam UP, 2022)
Description: The discussion about objects, human remains and archives from former colonial territories is becoming increasingly heated. Over the centuries, a multitude of items – including a cannon of the King of Kandy, power-objects from DR Congo, Benin bronzes, Javanese temple statues, Mori heads and strategic documents – has ended up in museums and private collections in Belgium and the Netherlands by improper means. Since gaining independence, former colonies have been calling for the return of their lost heritage. As continued possession of these objects only grows more uncomfortable, governments and museums must decide what to do.Inconvenient Heritage: Colonial Coll...