On 13 January 1897, the British Empire launched a devastating punitive expedition in Benin City, which was then capital of the Kingdom of Benin. In what the Times of London reported as a ‘Disaster’ in Benin, modern-day Nigeria - the Benin King, Oba Ovonramwen (who consistently defied the empire) was ousted and his palace was stormed while the troops looted the royal treasures: delicate ivory carvings and magnificent copper-alloy sculptures and plaques, known as the Benin Bronzes. Around 700 of the 4,000 objects ended up in the British Museum, and the rest were swept up by Germany, Austria, France, and then the US.
For decades, these culturally significant artworks have been kept out of their home countries, leaving a gaping hole in Nigeria’s art history and denying citizens of their rightful participation in its OWNERSHIP.
Who gets to keep, exhibit and reap the commercial benefits of ownership?
Who gets to keep, exhibit and reap the commercial benefits of ownership?
Looty is the world's first digital restitution project to the metaverse.
looty
repatriation
of
stolen
Artworks
Manifesto
As prominent Nigerian artist, Victor Ehikhamenor puts it,
"Generations of Africans have already lost incalculable history and cultural reference points because of the absence of some of the best artworks created on the continent. We shouldn’t have to ask, over and over, to get back what is ours."
"Generations of Africans have already lost incalculable history and cultural reference points because of the absence of some of the best artworks created on the continent. We shouldn’t have to ask, over and over, to get back what is ours."
We are an anonymous team of artists, philosophers and future thinkers fast forwarding digital restitution of looted artworks.
Looty is the world's first digital restitution project to the metaverse.
For the first time, the Blockchain and NFT Technology offers a way for Ownership.
To challenge the museum institutions who refuse to return these looted works to the rightful countries of ownership, we are launching NFTs of looted works and paying out reparations in the form of profits made from the sale of each NFT.
In doing so, we hope to answer the legal, philosophical and moral question of what happens if the NFT version eclipses the value of that which is held in museums? Will the works be given back then?
We will launch on 13th of May 2022, which makes it exactly 125 years since the punitive expedition.
Looty is the world's first digital restitution project to the metaverse.
For the first time, the Blockchain and NFT Technology offers a way for Ownership.
To challenge the museum institutions who refuse to return these looted works to the rightful countries of ownership, we are launching NFTs of looted works and paying out reparations in the form of profits made from the sale of each NFT.
In doing so, we hope to answer the legal, philosophical and moral question of what happens if the NFT version eclipses the value of that which is held in museums? Will the works be given back then?
We will launch on 13th of May 2022, which makes it exactly 125 years since the punitive expedition.
