Visiting Professorship for Bénédicte Savoy, Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University

Bénédicte Savoy is Professor of Art History at the Technische Universität Berlin. Prof.

Savoy is a world-renowned expert in three related fields of research: art and cultural transfer in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries; the history of museums and collections; and the provenance of looted art and cultural artefacts.

Owing to her expertise in these fields, Savoy was recently commissioned by the French president Macron to lead an investigation into the restitution of African heritage in French museums.

As a Kerstin Hesselgren visiting professor, Savoy will contribute to the development of Swedish research in three main ways: 1) strengthening collaboration between university research and the Swedish museum sector; 2) advancing discussions of provenance and restitution with special regard to Sámi heritage in Swedish museums; 3) inspiring transdisciplinary collaboration between researchers across the humanities with an interest in cultural transfer and colonial history and its historiographical and ethical implications.

A transdisciplinary research group has been formed at Stockholm University to host and facilitate her stay in July–December 2024, and promote the visiting program including seminars, workshops, and open lectures at Stockholm University, and guest activities at, e.g., Södertörn University, Linköping University, the Nordic Museum (Stockholm), Ájtte Museum (Jokkmokk), and the National Museums of World Culture (Stockholm, Gothenburg).