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79733-01 - Seminar: Restitution (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Aicha Revellat (aicha.revellat@unibas.ch)
Lorena Rizzo (lorena.rizzo@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This course critically examines current debates on restitution of artefacts and artworks and argues for a broader understanding of justice in museum practice. It explores restitution not only as the return of objects, but also as a transformative process that addresses structural imbalances in collections and art historical narratives. The course adopts an interdisciplinary and research-oriented approach, bringing together perspectives from art history, cultural anthropology, history, and postcolonial studies. It addresses restitution not merely as a legal, political, or moral issue, but as an aesthetic, epistemic, and institutional field of inquiry. Central to the course is the differential treatment of ethnographic artefacts and works of so-called “high art,” as well as the question of how objects are interpreted and evaluated as artefacts, cultural heritage, or artworks depending on their context. In our conversations we will take into account not only the historical, cultural, and postcolonial conditions of restitution debates, but also symbolic charges, shifts in meaning, and institutional processes of value attribution. Approaches that respond to the absence or return of originals—such as reproductions, digital reconstructions, or holograms—are also included. In addition to the reading and discussion of key texts, students will work on specific case studies and participate in exchanges with experts at the Museum der Kulturen Basel and the Kunstmuseum Basel, and thus encounter diverse institutional perspectives, collection histories, and restitution narratives. |
| Bibliography | Alexander, Darsie, und Sam Sackeroff. Afterlives: Recovering the Lost Stories of Looted Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2022. Pelta Feldman, J. (2020). Restitution Is Not Enough: Deaccessioning for Justice in Contemporary Art. 21: Inquiries into Art, History, and the Visual, 1(1), 205–215. https://doi.org/10.11588/xxi.2020.1.73144 Herman, Alexander. Restitution: The Return of Cultural Artefacts. London: Lund Humphries, 2021. Sarr, Felwine, und Bénédicte Savoy. Zurückgeben. Über die Restitution afrikanischer Kulturgüter. Berlin: Matthes & Seitz, 2019 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 15.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 22.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 29.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 06.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 13.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 20.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 27.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 03.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 10.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 17.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 24.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 01.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 08.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Tuesday 15.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.002 |
| Modules |
Modul: Transfer: Europa interdisziplinär (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Module: Europeanization and Globalization (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Zentrum für Afrikastudien |