Should Museums Repatriate Cultural Artifacts?
From Open to Debate by Open to Debate
May 7, 2026 · 53 min
About this episode
The episode debates whether museums should repatriate cultural artifacts taken during colonial rule or war.
For centuries, museums in Europe and the U.S. built their collections during eras of empire and unequal power. Now, institutions face growing calls to return artifacts taken through colonial rule or war, from the Benin Bronzes to Indigenous objects. Supporters say repatriation corrects historical injustice and restores sacred objects to their communities. Critics argue that museums serve a global public and that these works represent shared human heritage. Now we debate: Should Museums Repatriate Cultural Artifacts? Arguing Yes: Chika Okeke-Agulu, Artist, Curator, and Professor of Art and Archaeology and African American Studies at Princeton University Leila Amineddoleh, Art and Cultural Heritage Lawyer; Chair of the Firm’s Art Law Group at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin Arguing No: Dominic Selwood, Historian, Author, Journalist, and Barrister Mario Trabucco della Torretta, Classical Archaeologist Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Join the conversation on Substack - share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and…
People in this episode
Host: John Donvan
Guests: Chika Okeke-Agulu, Leila Amineddoleh, Dominic Selwood, Mario Trabucco della Torretta
Topics covered
- repatriation
- cultural artifacts
- colonialism
- museums
- historical injustice
- public heritage
Keywords
- museums
- repatriation
- cultural heritage
- colonial rule
- historical injustice
- Benin Bronzes
- Indigenous objects
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Princeton University, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin
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