Paper short abstract:

This paper extends the conversation around restitution of African art and heritage enacted through digital means. Here I consider the minting of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on blockchain ledgers as a vehicle for reclaiming and monetizing African art housed in the museums of the global north.

Paper long abstract:

This paper extends the conversation around restitution of African art and heritage enacted through digital means. Here I consider the minting of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on blockchain ledgers as a vehicle for reclaiming and monetizing African art owned and housed in the museums of the global north. Blockchain technology, while commonly associated with cryptocurrencies, stands to bring radical structural change to African arts and creative industries yet it remains to be seen how NFTs will reshape discussions surrounding cultural repatriation, even as the medium brims with potential. Pitfalls lie ahead — such as the ethics of financializing the digital sale of heritage, though the biggest obstacle might be institutional resistance since minting of NFTS loosens museological grip and authority. This paper, in presenting an example of blockchain and NFT use in the arts also raises implications in three regards, yet to be fulling explored: the blurring of the for-profit / nonprofit distinction, changes in the ownership structure of art housed in museums, and potential for new structures of public and private support for arts, heritage and restitution cases by African constituents. Ultimately, blockchain and NFTS holds the potential to tip the role of the arts toward democratic availability through collective ownership structures, or toward further commodification of cultural assets.