International Inventories Programme in Germany

As part of our continuing involvement in the International Inventories Programme (IIP), our very own Dr. Njoki Ngumi and Jim Chuchu travelled to Frankfurt and Cologne this month for a series of intense workshops and tours courtesy of the Weltkulturen Museum (Frankfurt) and the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum (Cologne). There, we had the opportunity to see collections of Kenyan objects held by the museums, and met teams of conservators, curators and museum staff who taught us a lot about the ways that museum collections are stored and conserved, as well as the institutional dynamics circling the current debate around restitution and repatriation of world cultures.

In addition, Dr. Njoki Ngumi took part in a panel discussion at the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum together with the museum’s director Dr. Nanette Snoep, and Professor Bénédicte Savoy, co-author of the pivotal restitution report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Together with the other IIP partners, and with hosting and support from the National Museums of Kenya, the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum and the Weltkulturen Museum, we are now working on a series of exhibitions centering on the issues of object movement and colonial histories. Stay tuned for updates. In summary, the tour was a fascinating exploration for us into the world of museum culture. Many thanks to the IIP squad, as well as wonderful support from the Goethe Institut and the Kulturstiftung des Bundes.