Community Conversation: Cultural Property and War

Armed conflict has long threatened the preservation of cultural heritage. From the looting of ancient artifacts to the deliberate destruction of religious sites, war continues to place cultural property—both tangible and intangible—in jeopardy. In an era of increasingly destructive technologies and shifting geopolitical norms, how do we protect humanity’s shared heritage? With perspectives from history, law and art, this panel will explore the impacts of attacks on cultural property -including around identity, memory and peacemaking- and ask how we can protect humanity’s common heritage during war. We will look at the legal regimes in place to address, however imperfectly, the protection and destruction of cultural property. This involves Canadian law but also international law, including international humanitarian and criminal law. We will also examine curatorial issues around the provenance of objects in museums and galleries. Curators play a vital role in cultural property protection through provenance research, which documents the history of ownership and custody of artworks and artifacts; this process helps museums ensure legal and ethical acquisitions with respect to art and artefacts in the conflict and post-conflict context.

Moderator 

• Robert Nelson, Professor and Department Head of History at the University of Windsor

Speakers

• Judith Dolkart, Deputy Director, Art, Education & Programs at the Detroit Institute of Arts
• Shanthi Senthe, Professor and director of the Transnational Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic at the University of Windsor
• Chris Waters, Professor of International Law at the University of Windsor