""This is a unique case, marked by the conscious and voluntary decision of those who legally acquired the works yet recognised the historical and cultural legitimacy of returning them to their territory of origin," Margareth Menezes, Brazil's cultural minister, tells The Art Newspaper. She further emphasises the decisive role of the Brazilian state and the importance of institutional cooperation, noting that the process involves legal, technical, logistical and diplomatic complexities."
"For Menezes, the return goes beyond administrative procedures. "This reunion with history represents a profound gesture of symbolic reparation and appreciation of Afro-Brazilian memory," she says. "The 666 works returning to Brazil carry narratives, knowledge and cosmologies that shape the country's cultural formation. From the state's perspective, the repatriation reaffirms a commitment to cultural policies that recognise the centrality of Black cultures in the construction of national identity.""
A collection of 666 works by 135 Afro-Brazilian artists was returned from Detroit to the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (Muncab) in Salvador, Bahia after three decades abroad. Coordinated by Brazil's cultural ministry, the repatriation spans paintings, sculptures, photographs, sacred and ritual objects, woodcuts and engravings representing diverse generations and regions. The transfer was voluntary and involved legal, technical, logistical and diplomatic coordination. The return is framed as symbolic reparation and recognition of Afro-Brazilian memory, and underscores state commitment to cultural policies that centre Black cultures within national identity formation.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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