DAHOMEY

Mati Diop documents the return to Benin of treasured artworks held by France, looted from the Kingdom of Dahomey during the colonial era. She asks what restitution means in immaterial terms. Local people offer their perspectives: a wide-ranging discussion among young students reveals very different views on ownership, history and identity. Diop also lets the sculptures – human-animal hybrids depicting former monarchs – speak for themselves: they bear witness to a violent past and highlight the difficulty of overcoming it.