France has approved a law on the restitution of cultural heritage, marking progress in the return of goods acquired during the colonial period. Researcher Catharine Titi notes that there is political will, but implementation clashes with museum inalienability laws, requiring bilateral agreements for each case.
Blockchain as a tool to trace the origin of artworks 🔗
Blockchain technology could facilitate the traceability of cultural goods, recording their provenance and chain of custody from their origin. Distributed ledger systems would allow verifying the authenticity of historical documents and acquisition agreements. However, its implementation requires international standardization and political will to digitize colonial archives, a slow and costly process.
Return the marble or I'll send you a souvenir NFT 😅
While France debates how to return pieces, Greece is still waiting for the Parthenon marbles since 1816. Perhaps the solution is an exchange: the UK returns the sculptures and France compensates with an NFT of the restitution deed. That way everyone is happy, except the museums that would lose their favorite excuse for not letting go of trophies.