Can culture be taken away, shipped off, and returned? Following the restitution order by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, 26 works of art from the Kingdom of Dahomey that were held in Paris are being returned to their homeland \u2013 the modern-day Republic of Benin. The gates of ages open up \u2013 a meditative essay on travel and time is conjured right before our eyes. Standing in silence and among tourists, the ancient totems, statues, and royal thrones regain their voice after more than a century \u2013 each has its own personal stories, memories, longings as they realise they’re returning home. As poetry intertwines with politics, Beninese students have a heated debate on retrieving history \u2013 can injustices be overcome this way?<\/p>\n
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