Image Credit, Getty Images
In our series of letters from African writers, Nigerian author Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani highlights a new initiative to reclaim works of art looted from Africa by colonial powers.
What if Africans managed to gain access to museums in the Western world, collect all the works of art that were looted on their territory during colonial times, and bring them home?
This is what a young Nigerian is trying to do. But instead of physically going into museums and taking the works of art away, he will repatriate them digitally.
“This is the first digital repatriation of stolen artwork,” said Chidi, 34, a Nigerian designer and founder of Looty, who declined to disclose his last name because he says he wants people to focus on his project and not on his person.
“I had this idea: why not bring physical works of art into the digital world?”.
The idea for Looty came to him after growing conversations about non-fungible tokens (‘non-fungible tokens’ (NFT), a certificate of authenticity of digital file ownership.
Although the legal rights mediated by NFTs may be precarious, they are becoming increasingly popular.
The NFT of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweet was sold for $ 3 million, and another NFT of the arrest warrant for Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid icon, has brought in $ 130,000 at auction.
At the same time, there is a growing agitation for the return of works of art looted from Africa by European colonizers.
“We were talking about the origin and ownership of the coins. What if I could bring them back and turn them into NFTs?” said Chidi.
Image Credit, Looted
Looted members visit museums throughout the West to take pictures of looted objects
The process of repatriating works of art begins with researching potential works for Looty and then visiting museums to scan them using special apps on mobile phones.
The images are then uploaded to laptops, and the complicated 3D conversion process begins using special apps and technologies.
“To be honest, it’s almost like we’re re-sculpting the artwork again,” Chidi said. “A play can take an entire week to complete, maybe longer.”
Benin bronzer digitally created
The Looty site will be officially launched on May 13, but work began in November 2021.
If Chidi is the founder, he is working with two other Nigerians and a Somali.
Each member of the team specializes in 3D design, NFT technology or editing, but they have all visited museums in the UK and France to take pictures of the artwork with their mobile phones.
So far, they have managed to create about 25 different pieces, including some of the famous Benin bronzes that once decorated the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria, and they intend to create many more.
On looted African works of art :
Chidi says he is aware that the word “Looty” is associated with “looting,” which is an act of violence, but he points out that the name he chose for the project has a deeper meaning.
In 1860, a British soldier, Captain John Hart Dunne, returned to England from Beijing with an unusual dog, which he presented to Queen Victoria for her “royal collection of dogs.”
Named Looty, referring to its origins, the famous dog, who has sometimes served as a model for paintings and sketches by famous artists, was reportedly captured after the British searched a royal palace in Beijing.
Looty was one of the first in Britain of what became known as Pekingese dogs, and lived at Windsor Castle until his death in 1872.
In 2018, rumors swirled in the media about the Chinese government’s involvement in a wave of art rubs targeting Chinese art and antiques in the West.
The Chinese government rejected the allegations, even after one of the stolen works of art reappeared on display at an airport in Shanghai.
“Before the British plundered art in Africa, they had already made a fortune with the items they stole from China. By choosing the name ‘Looty’, I am referring to this, but also to the dog that was given to Queen Victoria.” said Chidi.
“Even though we call ourselves Looty, we do it in a non-violent way and also in a legal way.”
Image Credit, Looted
Looty brought physical works of art into the digital world – like this one.
Chidi’s vision for Looty is twofold. The first is repatriation, which involves recovering stolen works of art and connecting them with local museums in Africa, art organizations and Africans in general, which he describes as “the original owners of these works”.
The second part is repair, which aims to help artists across Africa, who he says have also had their opportunities for inspiration robbed by British looters.
“For example, if you live in Benin and want to be inspired by your ethnic group’s artwork, you must first apply for a visa, then buy the plane ticket, fly to England and book hotels. Then you need to see the artwork. There are not many people there. will be able to do that, “Chidi said.
Build a metaverse
Chidi hopes that seeing the artwork at Looty will not only inspire African artists at home, but also that selling the artwork will give local artists the means to promote their art.
Artwork NFTs on the website can only be purchased by cryptocurrency.
“The tokenet is essentially a digital contract. When purchasing a work of art on Looty, 20% of it will be donated to the Looty Foundation. From this foundation we will start providing grants to artists from the mainland. We will donate money and equipment to artists, “he said.
While Chidi hopes that all this activism will eventually lead to the return of every single work of art that the colonialists have plundered in Africa, he continues to dream of an alternative.
“I want to build our own metavers where these pieces will live and can live,” he said.
Lletters from African writers: