Video game lets you return African artifacts from Western museums

Sam Peters, CNN

“Is it stealing to take back what was stolen?” That’s the question asked in the trailer for “Relooted,” a video game in which players form a crew and plan a heist to reclaim real-life African artifacts held in Western museums.

Created by South African game developer Nyamakop, the game, to be released on PC and Xbox, is set in a futuristic Johannesburg, South Africa. The crew is composed of scientists, computer programmers and MMA fighters — rather than seasoned criminals — and guided by the fictitious Professor Grace, a retired South African art historian frustrated by the glacial rate of restitutions.

There are hundreds of thousands of African artifacts held in Western collections. As European countries colonized Africa, they took art and valuables. Some, such as the Benin Bronzes, were taken by force. This collection of thousands of sculptures and plaques once adorned the royal palace in the Kingdom of Benin, in modern day Nigeria, and was taken by British soldiers in 1897.

Some African artifacts were acquired through coercion and others were bought.

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The game will feature 70 artifacts to steal, some of which are among the most controversial in the ongoing debate around restitution.

Find out more about Relooted.

Learn about African Peoples Before Captivity.

More stories showcasing the rich history of the African diaspora.