Provenance Research Fund
Franco-German Research Fund on the Provenance of Cultural Objects from sub-Saharan Africa
Call forFranco-German Research Projects on the Provenance of Cultural Objects from sub-Saharan Africa
In 2023, France and Germany decided to create a joint fund dedicated to provenance research on sub-Saharan objects in their public institutions. The French ministries for culture and for foreign affairs (ministère de la Culture, ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Etrangères) as well as on the German side the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) have mandated the Centre Marc Bloch to run the fund.
Description
Museums, cultural, scientific and academic institutions in both Germany and France hold substantial collections of cultural objects with great symbolic, artistic, historic or societal significance for the countries and societies of origin. Over the last few years, strengthening provenance research has been a major objective for Germany and France, as well as for many other European countries. France and Germany have sought to support making sub-Saharan cultural heritage more accessible again to the Sub-Saharan public.
In 2023, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, Germany and France decided to join forces in recognizing the importance of the appropriate handling of said objects. The creation of the Franco-German Fund on the provenance of cultural objects from Sub-Sahara is an integral part of a broader cultural policy seeking to strengthen and renew partnerships with Sub-Saharan Africa. The Fund seeks to promote research to further and deepen knowledge on cultural objects which are still insufficiently documented and often consist of very fragmented information. The search for provenance consists in tracing the history of the various owners of an object from its creation to its entry into the collections of an institution. This will promote a broader knowledge of the cultural history of these objects and the contexts in which they were acquired and circulated.
This Fund is a three-year initiative with an annual budget of 720.000€. Based on an annual call for proposals, it will support provenance research projects carried out by consortia bringing together French, German and sub-Saharan partners. The Scientific Council is responsible for defining the Fund’s program, project evaluation and selection. It is made up of nine highly recognized experts equally from France, Germany and sub-Saharan Africa.
Eligibility
This call for provenance research welcomes all disciplines. It is designed to support projects proposed jointly by researchers and professionals from France and Germany in close collaboration with cultural and scientific institutions and communities from sub-Saharan countries. Please note that the investigated items’ history does not necessarily need to be a Franco-German history.
Documents to download
Call for projects
English French German
Submission form
PDF English / Word English
Timeline / filing dates
| 19 January 2024 | Opening of the call |
| 21 February 2024 | Online information events for applicants (one in French and one in German) |
| 15 May 2024 (12 a.m.) | Closing of the call for proposals |
| May 2024 | Project evaluation phase by external experts |
| July 2024 | Publication of results |
| September 2024 | Start of projects |
Information
Scientific Head of the Fund:
Dr. Julie Sissia
julie.sissia@cmb.hu-berlin.de
Project Coordinator:
Dorothee Mertz
dorothee.mertz@cmb.hu-berlin.de
Intern:
Emil Rau
emil.rau@cmb.hu-berlin.de
Scientific Council
- Chair:
Souleymane Bachir DIAGNE
Professor, Columbia University
Discipline: Philosophy
- Members:
Felicity BODENSTEIN
Lecturer. Sorbonne Université
Discipline: Art History
Hugues HEUMEN TCHANA
Director, National Museum of Cameroon
Discipline: Museology
Emmanuel KASARHEROU
Director, Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac
Discipline: Museology
Antoinette MAGET DOMINICÉ
Professor, Université de Genève
Discipline: Law
Nzila Marina MUBUSISI
Chief Curator, National Museum of Namibia
Discipline: Heritage Management
Barbara PLANKENSTEINER
Director, MARKK Museum am Rothenbaum Hamburg
Discipline: Ethnology
Emilie SALABERRY
Director, Musée d'Angoulême
Discipline: Art History
Bénédicte SAVOY
Professor, TU Berlin
Discipline: Art History