Hyperallergic @hyperallergic.com · Jan 11 “Long-term loans are not restitution. They do not acknowledge historical wrongdoing, nor do they restore agency to source communities. Instead, they reinforce a museum’s claim of ownership over objects it has no moral (and often legal) right to possess.” –Emiline Smith buff.ly/5rMvteu
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Ownership IS binary. Either Greece owns the Parthenon Marbles or Britain does. Either Nigeria has sovereign authority over the Benin Bronzes or it doesn't. Calling this reality "zero sum" doesn't make the museum's position more nuanced. It just obscures who currently holds power vs who doesn't.