The German minister of state for culture, Monika Grütters, and her French counterpart, Françoise Nyssen, met in Paris on Friday, April 6, to discuss common projects and concerns, including a possible multilateral approach to African heritage, which was collected during the colonial era, in the nations’ museums.
The German government has been under increased pressure since the French President, Emmanuel Macron, became vocal about the subject, pledging to put African art in French museums on display in African cities. (He stopped short of promising restitution.)
According to an official statement from the German ministry, Grütters pressed the French ministry about the urgent issue of colonial heritage and the need for arranging next steps as a multilateral effort with the French government and other partners. Artnet News reached out to the French ministry of culture for further details about what these goals will entail, but did not receive a response by the time of publishing.
Germany is readying to open the controversial Humboldt Forum in Berlin in 2019, which will unite the city’s ethnographic and Asian art collections in a reconstruction of its Prussian-era palace. Read more