Museums and Restitution is a two-day international conference organised by the Centre for Museology and The Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester. The conference examines the issue of restitution in relation to the changing role and authority of the museum, focussing on new ways in which these institutions are addressing the subject.
Restitution is one of the most emotive and complex issues facing the museum world in the twenty first century. Its current high profile reflects changing global power relations and the increasingly vocal criticisms of the historical concentration of the world's heritage in the museums of the West. The 2002 Declaration of the Importance and Value of Universal Museums, which was signed by the directors of eighteen of the world's most prominent museums, pushed the subject to the forefront of debate as never before.
Over recent years, the issue of restitution has taken on a new complexion with different processes emerging. We have seen an increasing emphasis on museums working with source communities, and with new forms of restitution other than object restitution - such as visual and knowledge restitution. The language of discussion too has changed, with the term 'reunification', for example, rather than 'repatriation' now often being used in relation to the Parthenon Marbles. The opening of New Acropolis Museum in Athens in June 2009 has added a further dimension to the debates. We are also seeing new countries gaining increasing prominence in restitution debates: for example, the official response from the government of the People's Republic of China to the Yves Saint Laurent auction of Chinese looted bronzes at Christie's in Paris in March 2009. This is a trend clearly set to continue.
This conference will bring together museum professionals and academics from a wide range of fields (including museology, archaeology, anthropology, art history and cultural policy) to share ideas on contemporary approaches to restitution from the viewpoint of museums.
Possible themes
- New museums, new developments
- Visual, knowledge and digital repatriation
- Authority and power: voices listened to, voices heard
- Beyond ownership? Loans, travelling exhibitions, exchanges
- Reflections on returns
Call for Papers is now closed (deadline: 11th December 2009).
Many thanks to everyone who submitted an abstract! Due to the large number of proposals we received, the selection process will take longer than anticipated. We hope to get back to you about the outcome of the selection process in March 2010.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers
- Prof. Piotr Bienkowski (Former Deputy Director, The Manchester Museum)
Title of Keynote: 'Authority and the Power of Place: Exploring the Legitimacy of Authorised and Alternative Voices in the Restitution Discourse'
- Prof. Anthony Shelton (Director, The University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology)
Title of Keynote: 'After Dispossession: Heritage, Longing and Anomie in the New Global Homeland'
Programme Panel
- Dr Sam Alberti, The Manchester Museum / Centre for Museology
- Dr Kostas Arvanitis, Centre for Museology
- Malcolm Chapman, The Manchester Museum
- Dr Zachary Kingdon, National Museums Liverpool
- Dr Helen Rees Leahy, Centre for Museology
- Prof. Sharon Macdonald, Social Anthropology
- Louise Tythacott, Centre for Museology
Registration
Standard Registration Fee: £100 (£50 per day)
Student Registration Fee: £50 (£25 per day)
Booking details will be available in due course.
If you have any enquiry about the conference, please contact Louise Tythacott louise.tythacott@manchester.ac.uk and Kostas Arvanitis kostas.arvanitis@manchester.ac.uk
Key Dates
| Call for Papers Deadline: | 11th December 2009 |
| Notification of Acceptance: | March 2010 |
| Registration Opens: | to be announced |
| Registration Closes: | to be announced |
| Conference Dates: | 8-9 July 2010 |
If you use twitter, you can follow news and share thoughts on the conference using the hashtag #mrest. See the latest tweets here