Prof. Dr. Bénédicte Savoy, recipient of the Clark Art Institute 2024 Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing. Image credit: Maurice Weiss

Bénédicte Savoy, an expert on the repatriation of looted objects, is the recipient of the Clark Art Institute 2024 Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing.

ARCENTRON NEWS

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS— The Clark Art Institute has awarded the 2024 Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing to Bénédicte Savoy, a professor of art history at Technische Universität in Berlin. She is famous for her expertise in the provenance and repatriation of works of art, particularly looted art and illegally acquired cultural objects.

Olivier Meslay, the Hardymon Director of the Clark Art Institute, highlighted the significance of Savoy’s work in bridging scholarly and popular interest, stating:

Bénédicte Savoy’s writing is on the cutting edge of one of the most important issues in art history, and she has prolifically pursued a deep study of the very complex issue of provenance in her books and articles. The Institute is pleased to shine a spotlight on her work through the presentation of the Clark Prize.

About Bénédicte Savoy

Savoy has been teaching art history since 1997 in French and German universities and colleges. She is also the author of more than 25 books and numerous articles for international journals and magazines. Her book Africa’s Struggle for Its Art: History of a Postcolonial Defeat, is a top seller in the cultural field. Since it was first published in 2021, the book has been reprinted in multiple languages. Today, it is a major influence on the debate on restitution.

In addition to her writing, Savoy has curated or co-curated several museum exhibitions, including “Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt” at the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin (2019–2020) and “Napoleon and Europa: Dream and Trauma” at the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn (2010).

Repatriation of Art and Looted Objects

Savoy gained international recognition in 2018 when French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned her and Senegalese writer and academic Felwine Sarr to study and provide recommendations related to African cultural heritage objects held in French museum collections. Their report called for the permanent repatriation of objects looted from African nations during the French colonial era.

The Clark Prize jury, consisting of prominent figures in the arts, including Suzanne Hudson, Asma Naeem, and Sebastian Smee, selected Savoy for the award. The prize has an accompanying $25,000 honorarium. In addition, Savoy will receive an award designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando. The presentation will be at an event in the autumn.

The Clark Prize, funded by the Beinecke Family through the Prospect Hill Foundation, was first awarded in 2006 and aims to recognize individuals who excel in arts writing. Previous recipients include Kobena Mercer, Linda Nochlin, and Calvin Tomkins, among others.

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, serves as both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Its extensive collections include European and American paintings and sculptures, master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. The Clark also houses the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art. The Institute’s selection of Bénédicte Savoy for the 2024 Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing recognizes her significant contributions to the field of art history. It shows her dedication to the arts and her ongoing efforts to address the repatriation of art and looted objects to their rightful owners.