The Pulse of Repatriation

The Pulse of Repatriation

On an almost weekly basis, we hear a new story about objects returning to their country or culture of origin. Fantastic, right? On the one hand, like dropping a stone down a deep, black well, we wait for the splash which seems to never arrive. Likewise, the amount of plundering by colonial powers that occurred throughout history appears similarly profound and endless. On the other, does the steady return also show that institutions around the world take seriously the situation and actively seek to return objects?