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French Govt Prepares New Law to Return Colonial-era Art

In 2019, France returned a 19th-century sword to Senegal's then-President Macky Sall (right). (AFP)
In 2019, France returned a 19th-century sword to Senegal's then-President Macky Sall (right). (AFP)
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French Govt Prepares New Law to Return Colonial-era Art

In 2019, France returned a 19th-century sword to Senegal's then-President Macky Sall (right). (AFP)
In 2019, France returned a 19th-century sword to Senegal's then-President Macky Sall (right). (AFP)

France's government on Wednesday discussed a bill designed to speed up the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin, officials said.

If approved, the law would make it easier for the country to return cultural goods in France's national collection "originating from states that, due to illicit appropriation, were deprived of them" between 1815 and 1972, said the culture ministry.

It will cover works obtained through "theft, looting, transfer or donation obtained through coercion or violence, or from a person who was not entitled to dispose of them", the ministry added.

The bill was presented during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, a government spokeswoman told reporters. The Senate is due to discuss it September.

Former colonial powers in Europe have been slowly moving to send back some artworks obtained during their imperial conquests, but France is hindered by its current legislation.

The return of every item in the national collection must be voted on individually. Wednesday's draft law is designed to simplify and streamline the process.

France returned 26 formerly royal artifacts including a throne to Benin in 2021.

They were part of the collection of the Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum in Paris, which holds the majority of the 90,000 African works estimated to be in French museums, according to an expert report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018.

A "talking drum" that French colonial troops seized from the Ebrie tribe in 1916 was sent back to Ivory Coast earlier this year.

In 2019, France's then prime minister Edouard Philippe handed over a sword to the Senegalese president that was believed to have belonged to the 19th-century West African Islamic scholar and leader, Omar Tall.

Other European states, including Germany and the Netherlands, have handed back a limited number of artifacts in recent years

Britain faces multiple high-profile claims but has refused to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece and the Kohinoor diamond to India, two of the best-known examples.

The French draft law is the third and final part of legislative efforts to speed up the removal and return of artworks held in France's national collection.

Two other laws -- one to return property looted by the Nazis, and a second to return human remains -- were approved in 2023.

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Culture

65 Artists from 37 Countries to Participate in Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
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65 Artists from 37 Countries to Participate in Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the list of artists participating in the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, scheduled to open on January 30 in the Jax District of Diriyah.

Titled “In Interludes and Transitions,” this edition draws inspiration from themes of movement, migration, and transformation—forces that have historically shaped pathways of communication and cultural exchange between the Arab region and societies around the world, SPA reported.

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. These original pieces, created by artists, musicians, filmmakers, architects, and writers, explore ideas of continuity, resilience, and collective imagination amid periods of profound change.

Chief Executive Officer of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation Aya Al-Bakree explained that the event brings together artists from multiple generations, regions, and disciplines, offering audiences a rich and diverse artistic experience that reflects Diriyah’s growing role as a global cultural hub.

The artistic directors noted that this edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale emphasizes the vital role of art in interpreting contemporary transformations. Over the past year, participating artists and the curatorial team have engaged in in-depth research into the historical contexts of the Arab region, examined the rapid changes reshaping its cultural landscape, and addressed broader intellectual questions with global relevance.

Culture

Louvre Workers Vote to Strike in Another Blow to the Paris Museum 

This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Louvre Workers Vote to Strike in Another Blow to the Paris Museum 

This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)

Workers at the Louvre Museum voted Monday to strike over working conditions and other complaints, dealing another blow to the Paris landmark and home of the Mona Lisa after an embarrassing jewelry heist in October.

The CFDT union said the vote was taken at a meeting of 400 workers on Monday morning and that they decided to strike for the day.

The world’s most-visited museum didn’t open as scheduled and turned people away. A notice on the Louvre's website said, “the museum is closed for the moment.”

“It's really sad, because I was really looking forward to this,” said Lindsey Hall, a bitterly disappointed would-be visitor from Sacramento, California. She had been planning to enjoy the museum's huge collection of art and artifacts with a friend, describing it as “one of those life experiences you crave.”

“This is just an epic collection of art and something that every human should see,” she said. “I can see the other side of it, like if you are the person that works in the museum and how that can be, like day after day after day.”

The strike vote followed talks last week between labor unions and government officials, including Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Labor leaders said the talks had not alleviated all of their concerns about staffing and financing for the museum that welcomes millions of visitors each year.

“Visiting the museum has become an obstacle course,” said Alexis Fritche, general secretary of the culture wing of the CFDT union.

For employees, the daylight jewel heist crystallized long-standing concerns that crowding and thin staffing are undermining security and working conditions at the Louvre.

Thieves used a basket lift to reach the Louvre’s facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with pieces of the French crown jewels. A Senate inquiry released last week said the thieves escaped with barely 30 seconds to spare and pointed fingers of blame at broken cameras, outdated equipment, understaffed control rooms and poor coordination that initially sent police to the wrong location.

In a statement, the CFDT said employees wants more staffing for security and to welcome visitors, improved working conditions, stable long-term budgets for the Louvre and leadership that “truly listens to staff.”

Yvan Navarro of the CGT union complained that staff numbers have continually decreased while visitor numbers have increased.

“People come to Paris to visit the museums. So the visitor numbers go up, the tariffs and the prices go up, because everything is becoming more expensive, but the salaries and the numbers of staffers don't go up so obviously you reach a point like today, a day of anger,” he said.

Culture

Saudi Media Ministry Launches Sudanese Culture Week as Part of 'Global Harmony 2' Initiative 

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
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Saudi Media Ministry Launches Sudanese Culture Week as Part of 'Global Harmony 2' Initiative 

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media launched on Sunday the Sudanese Culture Week as part of the "Global Harmony 2" initiative, organized in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the Quality of Life Program.

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues.

The events began with a celebratory parade showcasing elements of Sudanese culture, featuring performances of traditional music, including the rhythms of the Dalooka and melodies of the Rababa, alongside scenes from a Sudanese bridal procession.

Sudanese Culture Week includes a diverse program of musical concerts, entertainment segments, and cultural pavilions, with participation from a selection of Sudanese singers and influencers presenting activities that reflect the cultural diversity of Sudan’s regions and communities.

The event stage hosted the first musical concerts, attended by thousands of visitors, who engaged with Rababa performances by traditional artists and popular social occasion songs from Sudan.

Sudanese Culture Week marks the final week of events under the Global Harmony 2 initiative, building on the program's success in promoting cultural exchange in the Kingdom, reflecting the values of coexistence and cultural openness embraced by the Kingdom.

The events will continue on Monday with a program featuring a variety of cultural and musical performances.