Zoë Strother | Columbia University (original) (raw)

Papers by Zoë Strother

This case study from DR-Congo picks up a question raised by Chinua Achebe and other Igbo/Nigerian... more This case study from DR-Congo picks up a question raised by Chinua Achebe and other Igbo/Nigerian intellectuals: why have some African societies rejected the ideal of the eternal art object? And are expectations for the life history of a work of art shifting in the wake of the ongoing debate about restitution of cultural heritage?

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This article considers the value of ephemerality in architecture in Central Africa. For the full ... more This article considers the value of ephemerality in architecture in Central Africa. For the full scholarly documentation, see "Architecture Against the State" (available below).

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The restitution debate is creating a "forensic art history" but holds the potential to do much more.

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This article takes as its subject a statue representing Maximilien Balot, the colonial officer ki... more This article takes as its subject a statue representing Maximilien Balot, the colonial officer killed during the 1931 Pende Rebellion in the Belgian Congo. By accessing an unusual wealth of historical documents, the authors open a window on the role of the arts during the colonial period. Their interdisciplinary approach also gives new perspectives on how rural Congolese experienced the violent reshaping of their lives and sought to create a space of liberation defined according to their own terms.

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The text gives a quick overview of Congolese representations of Europeans in the visual arts. T... more The text gives a quick overview of Congolese representations of Europeans in the visual arts.

The issues raised are explored in greater depth in the author's book, Humor and Violence: Seeing Europeans in Central African Art.

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The abstract and youtube address for a lecture delivered in the Getty Research Institute Council ... more The abstract and youtube address for a lecture delivered in the Getty Research Institute Council Series (Los Angeles).

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HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, 2020

Essay invited to prompt a colloquium debate devoted to “Iconoclasm, Heritage, Restitution,” with ... more Essay invited to prompt a colloquium debate devoted to “Iconoclasm, Heritage, Restitution,” with rejoinders from seven scholars. For the full issue, see HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, Vol. 10 (3) 2020: 991-988.

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Res: Anthropology and aesthetics, 2005

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826 Schermerhorn, 2020

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In November, 2018, Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy released a report prepared for President Emma... more In November, 2018, Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy released a report prepared for President Emmanuel Macron of France entitled “The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward a New Relational Ethics.” This report has set in motion a debate that could have a profound impact on the status of African art held in collections around the world.

During a full-day international symposium at Columbia University on Oct. 18, 2019, the authors of the report will present their recommendations and reflect on the response that they have received over the past year. A panel of curators, scholars, and cultural entrepreneurs will respond to the issues, which have broad ramifications that resonate well beyond Africa and Europe. The symposium is free and open to the public.

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What validity is there for the statistic often quoted in restitution or repatriation debates that... more What validity is there for the statistic often quoted in restitution or repatriation debates that 90-95% of African cultural heritage is located abroad?

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This is the abstract for a roundtable on restitution to be held in Atlanta at the African Studies... more This is the abstract for a roundtable on restitution to be held in Atlanta at the African Studies Meeting (Nov. 29, 2018)

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The author probes the philosophical, legal, and economic significance of the shift in modeling cu... more The author probes the philosophical, legal, and economic significance of the shift in modeling culture as “heritage” rather than “tradition” in Africa. As a case study, it examines the UNESCO world heritage site of Osogbo (Nigeria).

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Since the late 19th century, people have loved to tell stories about people who believe that a “p... more Since the late 19th century, people have loved to tell stories about people who believe that a “photo steals the soul.” The essay traces the history of this idea and the appeal to western critics such as Susan Sontag. The second half of the article examines a theory of photography in Central Africa, which argues that photographs are neither indexical nor dangerous because they have never had a direct physical relationship with the subject as would a footprint or cigarette butt. While the circulation of photographs is sometimes a concern, as are the motives of intrusive visitors, the taking of the photo itself causes no offense and is appreciated as a modern form of image-making.

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The essay examines the multi-sided nature of iconoclasm as a “disruptive reading of power relatio... more The essay examines the multi-sided nature of iconoclasm as a “disruptive reading of power relation” in the work of South African artist Kendell Geers.

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This article introduces issues vital for any discussion of repatriation or restitution of African... more This article introduces issues vital for any discussion of repatriation or restitution of African cultural heritage. It traces the development of a culture of iconoclasm in southern Nigeria beginning in the 1880s and active today. One practical consequence of the iconoclastic legacy has been a deep resistance to the establishment of museums on a Western model.

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The author asks: should we consider the refusal to shelter and maintain works of art and monument... more The author asks: should we consider the refusal to shelter and maintain works of art and monuments a form of willful destruction? She introduces the concept of “iconoclasm by proxy” in the context of African architecture when certain monuments and associated sculptures are rigged to self-destruct as a means to transfer responsibility for their demise onto natural forces.

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The artistic director of the 4th Biennale of Lubumbashi (2015) speaks about his goal to provide a... more The artistic director of the 4th Biennale of Lubumbashi (2015) speaks about his goal to provide a venue for works of art articulating the forces of globalization and yet attentive to the architectural and social space of Lubumbashi, a geopolitical mining center. This interview is linked to an exhibition review, which says more about the individual artists and the reception of their work.

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An exhibition review of the 4th biennale of Lubumbashi (2015). Featured artists include Jean Kata... more An exhibition review of the 4th biennale of Lubumbashi (2015). Featured artists include Jean Katambayi, Frances Bodomo, Gulda El Magambo, Mônica Nador, Maarten Vanden Eynde, and Mega Mingiedi. See also the interview with the artistic director, Toma Muteba Luntumbue.

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This case study from DR-Congo picks up a question raised by Chinua Achebe and other Igbo/Nigerian... more This case study from DR-Congo picks up a question raised by Chinua Achebe and other Igbo/Nigerian intellectuals: why have some African societies rejected the ideal of the eternal art object? And are expectations for the life history of a work of art shifting in the wake of the ongoing debate about restitution of cultural heritage?

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

This article considers the value of ephemerality in architecture in Central Africa. For the full ... more This article considers the value of ephemerality in architecture in Central Africa. For the full scholarly documentation, see "Architecture Against the State" (available below).

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The restitution debate is creating a "forensic art history" but holds the potential to do much more.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

This article takes as its subject a statue representing Maximilien Balot, the colonial officer ki... more This article takes as its subject a statue representing Maximilien Balot, the colonial officer killed during the 1931 Pende Rebellion in the Belgian Congo. By accessing an unusual wealth of historical documents, the authors open a window on the role of the arts during the colonial period. Their interdisciplinary approach also gives new perspectives on how rural Congolese experienced the violent reshaping of their lives and sought to create a space of liberation defined according to their own terms.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The text gives a quick overview of Congolese representations of Europeans in the visual arts. T... more The text gives a quick overview of Congolese representations of Europeans in the visual arts.

The issues raised are explored in greater depth in the author's book, Humor and Violence: Seeing Europeans in Central African Art.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The abstract and youtube address for a lecture delivered in the Getty Research Institute Council ... more The abstract and youtube address for a lecture delivered in the Getty Research Institute Council Series (Los Angeles).

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, 2020

Essay invited to prompt a colloquium debate devoted to “Iconoclasm, Heritage, Restitution,” with ... more Essay invited to prompt a colloquium debate devoted to “Iconoclasm, Heritage, Restitution,” with rejoinders from seven scholars. For the full issue, see HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, Vol. 10 (3) 2020: 991-988.

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Res: Anthropology and aesthetics, 2005

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826 Schermerhorn, 2020

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In November, 2018, Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy released a report prepared for President Emma... more In November, 2018, Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy released a report prepared for President Emmanuel Macron of France entitled “The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward a New Relational Ethics.” This report has set in motion a debate that could have a profound impact on the status of African art held in collections around the world.

During a full-day international symposium at Columbia University on Oct. 18, 2019, the authors of the report will present their recommendations and reflect on the response that they have received over the past year. A panel of curators, scholars, and cultural entrepreneurs will respond to the issues, which have broad ramifications that resonate well beyond Africa and Europe. The symposium is free and open to the public.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

What validity is there for the statistic often quoted in restitution or repatriation debates that... more What validity is there for the statistic often quoted in restitution or repatriation debates that 90-95% of African cultural heritage is located abroad?

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

This is the abstract for a roundtable on restitution to be held in Atlanta at the African Studies... more This is the abstract for a roundtable on restitution to be held in Atlanta at the African Studies Meeting (Nov. 29, 2018)

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The author probes the philosophical, legal, and economic significance of the shift in modeling cu... more The author probes the philosophical, legal, and economic significance of the shift in modeling culture as “heritage” rather than “tradition” in Africa. As a case study, it examines the UNESCO world heritage site of Osogbo (Nigeria).

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact


Since the late 19th century, people have loved to tell stories about people who believe that a “p... more Since the late 19th century, people have loved to tell stories about people who believe that a “photo steals the soul.” The essay traces the history of this idea and the appeal to western critics such as Susan Sontag. The second half of the article examines a theory of photography in Central Africa, which argues that photographs are neither indexical nor dangerous because they have never had a direct physical relationship with the subject as would a footprint or cigarette butt. While the circulation of photographs is sometimes a concern, as are the motives of intrusive visitors, the taking of the photo itself causes no offense and is appreciated as a modern form of image-making.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The essay examines the multi-sided nature of iconoclasm as a “disruptive reading of power relatio... more The essay examines the multi-sided nature of iconoclasm as a “disruptive reading of power relation” in the work of South African artist Kendell Geers.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact


This article introduces issues vital for any discussion of repatriation or restitution of African... more This article introduces issues vital for any discussion of repatriation or restitution of African cultural heritage. It traces the development of a culture of iconoclasm in southern Nigeria beginning in the 1880s and active today. One practical consequence of the iconoclastic legacy has been a deep resistance to the establishment of museums on a Western model.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The author asks: should we consider the refusal to shelter and maintain works of art and monument... more The author asks: should we consider the refusal to shelter and maintain works of art and monuments a form of willful destruction? She introduces the concept of “iconoclasm by proxy” in the context of African architecture when certain monuments and associated sculptures are rigged to self-destruct as a means to transfer responsibility for their demise onto natural forces.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

The artistic director of the 4th Biennale of Lubumbashi (2015) speaks about his goal to provide a... more The artistic director of the 4th Biennale of Lubumbashi (2015) speaks about his goal to provide a venue for works of art articulating the forces of globalization and yet attentive to the architectural and social space of Lubumbashi, a geopolitical mining center. This interview is linked to an exhibition review, which says more about the individual artists and the reception of their work.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

An exhibition review of the 4th biennale of Lubumbashi (2015). Featured artists include Jean Kata... more An exhibition review of the 4th biennale of Lubumbashi (2015). Featured artists include Jean Katambayi, Frances Bodomo, Gulda El Magambo, Mônica Nador, Maarten Vanden Eynde, and Mega Mingiedi. See also the interview with the artistic director, Toma Muteba Luntumbue.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Online Conference (Italian Academy; University of Virginia; Columbia University), 2022

Since the 1990s, exhibitions of African photographers such as Seydou Keïta have raised questions ... more Since the 1990s, exhibitions of African photographers such as Seydou Keïta have raised questions about the relationship of ownership to authorship, visibility to privacy. Concerns about the ethics of looking and collecting have grown more urgent with recent debates about the restitution of African cultural heritage. This online symposium draws together scholars, artists, and curators who explore the ethics of working with photographs and methods to decolonize the medium, and its histories.

What rights do photographers have? In today's age of hypervisibility, can sitters claim their “right to opacity,” to use Édouard Glissant's term? What is the future of collecting and curating photographs that originate in family and colonial archives on the continent? Can viewers embody “the active struggle of looking with,” in Tina Campt’s words—rather than observe passively—and can this engender new ways of seeing?

The Full conference is now available online with English subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaHCzaL-ex1Z0s3901JS6RF5HVE4XEt_p

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