PARIS.- A groundbreaking new issue of Gradhiva, the renowned journal of anthropology and art history from the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, is available now, igniting crucial conversations about the human remains held within museum collections. Titled "Artistic Research on Human Remains," the 39th issue, coordinated by Frédéric Keck and Lucia Piccioni, delves into the complex and often painful legacy of colonial acquisition and the powerful role art plays in re-examining these sensitive artifacts.

This 232-page volume, priced at €25, features 90 illustrations and offers a deep dive into a subject that sits at the intersection of history, ethics, and artistic expression.

The core of the debate centers on the restitution of human remains collected during the colonial era. This issue, the editors explain, is caught in a "double temporality." On one hand, there's the urgent diplomatic need to acknowledge the colonial debt. On the other, the slow legal process of tracing provenance and ownership. In this "suspended time," artists have stepped forward, using their creative lens to explore the gaps, absences, and ambiguities surrounding these collections, challenging what can and cannot be shown.

Historically, artists were instrumental in disseminating images of human remains, from scientific illustrations to early photographs. The article highlights pivotal moments, such as Louis-Auguste Bisson's 1841-1842 daguerreotype of a Polynesian skull, looted during an expedition, and the 1815 body cast of Sarah Baartman, the "Hottentot Venus," which became the first in a vast collection of replicated body casts exchanged globally.

However, the 20th century saw a shift. While earlier artists often focused on the transgressive power of these remains, contemporary artists are now shifting their focus. They seek to unearth the identity of the individual behind the skulls or to offer a poetic reinterpretation through photography.

This new issue of Gradhiva explores how this artistic engagement with European museum collections, born from the "extractivist dynamic of colonization," is forging a new relationship between art and science. It's about giving voice and meaning to collections that exist in a liminal space, "between life and death."

The journal's table of contents reflects this ambitious scope, featuring articles like "How Not to Exhibit a Skull: The Who is ID8470? Project" by Tal Adler, and "Cast Shadow: The Human Subject as Object in the Ethnographic Casting of Bonangera (Australia)" by Claire Brizon, Daniel Browning, and Arnaud Morvan. The issue also includes a compelling portfolio by Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnenc and a series of insightful interviews with artists and collectives such as Abounaddara, Karim Kal, Rosângela Renno, Sammy Baloji, Clara Jo, and Delphine Zigoni, discussing strategies for "rehumanization" and "resubjectifying" these powerful images.

Founded in 1986 by Michel Leiris and Jean Jamin, Gradhiva continues to serve as a vital platform for debate in anthropology and art history. This latest issue is a significant contribution to ongoing discussions about museums' roles in confronting their past and shaping a more ethical future.