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Repatriation & Restitution
The trouble with returning the Benin Bronzes
The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology's rapid restitution plan has been postponed until October. While no reasons have been made public, issues around the Benin Bronzes continue to grow more and more complex. (The Spectator)
Who Owns the Benin Bronzes? The Answer Just Got More Complicated.
Nigeria's outgoing president announced he would hand over the artifacts to the current oba of Benin, sowing anxiety among some museums in the midst of restitution negotiations. (The New York Times)
Benin bronzes: whose restitution is this, anyway?
Phillip Ihenacho, the director of the Edo Museum of West African Art in Nigeria, discusses the vital need for the Benin bronzes restitution narrative to be told from the perspective of Africans. (The Art Newspaper)
German museums hold 40,000 objects from former colony Cameroon, study finds
Germany has more objects belonging to Cameroonian heritage than any other country, including Cameroon—and the majority of items are in depots and not on display. (The Art Newspaper)
Digital Frontiers
User-Generated Content to Connect an International Audience
The International Center of Photography's user-generated content campaigns provide a successful case study in using participatory events to drive engagement. (Museum Next)
Museums May Not Lead Technological Innovation, But Here's the Vital Role They Play in an A.I.-Powered Age
Cultural advisor András Szántó and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Director Thomas P. Campbell discuss what A.I. may mean for arts institutions. (ArtNet)
An Art Professor Says A.I. Is the Future. It's the Students Who Need Convincing.
A Columbia University professor is encouraging his students to embrace A.I. technologies such as ChatGPT and Midjourney as future tools of the art world. (The New York Times)
Evolving Roles
Museum: A new arena for Cultural Diplomacy
The museum's role has expanded politically, economically, and socio-culturally. Two university students discuss how museums can support the Indian governments emphasis on soft power. (Financial Express)
What Does It Take to Run a Museum? The Job Description Is Changing.
The new generation of museum directors are facing much more than aesthetic decisions and fund-raising strategies—they are confronting restitution claims, social justice controversies, labor unrest, and the threat of climate change. (The New York Times)
Information Overload
An excerpt from her forthcoming book Disordered Attention: How We Look At Art and Performance Today, Claire Bishop explores the impact of research-based art, a form that has become superabundant across exhibitions. (ArtForum)
Art as a Tool for Social Good
US art museums generate $52bn in well-being benefits annually, study finds
A new study conducted across 11 art institutions found that every museum visit produces $905 in social benefits per visitor, a potential "breakthrough" in understanding the value of museum visitor experience. (The Art Newspaper)
Artists’ depictions of climate data can cut through politicisation of science, study finds
Authors of the journal Nature commissioned a new study that found that artistic visualizations of climate change data can reduce the polarising effects of research findings, which can heighten scepticism and political division. (The Art Newspaper)
AEA Consulting is a global firm setting the standard in strategy and planning for the cultural and creative industries.
We are known for our candid and impartial advice that draws on deep knowledge of the cultural sector as well as robust research and analytical insight.
Since 1991, we have successfully delivered more than 1,200 assignments in 42 countries, helping clients around the world plan and realize vital and sustainable cultural projects.
