THINGS ON THE MOVE: Dramas of Repatriation, Diplomacy of Public Exchange and the Future of Museums

How should repatriation claims for objects held in museum collections be tackled? What do museums owe to Others and to the Enlightenment project that gave birth to the institution? Through a novel ethnographic approach to the paper trails of bureaucracies, their recognition of claimants and their justifications for retention or return of artifacts, this project endeavors to answer these questions.