Cécile Mendy Participates in Workshop “Repairing Absence” in Saint-Louis, Senegal

On March 24, 2026, Cécile Mendy participated in the study day entitled “Réparer l’absence: Partage de méthodologie pour une histoire inversée de la translocation coloniale de patrimoines africains,” [Repairing Absence: Sharing Methodologies for an Inverted History of the Colonial Translocation of African Heritage], held at the Institut Français in Saint-Louis, Senegal.

This scholarly event brought together researchers, museum professionals, representatives of cultural institutions, and members of civil society to reflect on methodologies for rebalancing the writing of the history of African collections held in European museums. Discussions focused in particular on provenance research, the expectations of source communities, and participatory approaches that promote knowledge sharing.

As part of the second roundtable dedicated to the assumptions underlying a balanced research approach to African collections in European museums, Cécile Mendy, PhD candidate at the University of Vienna (Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies), presented on “Senegalese collections from the 1889 exhibition at the Weltmuseum Vienna.” Her contribution highlighted the challenges related to identifying, documenting, and valorizing these collections, as well as reintegrating them into historical narratives from their territories of origin.

This study day took place in connection with the exhibition of cultural objects acquired during the Battle of Coki / Samba Sadio (1875), currently held at the Musée de Dunkerque, and aimed to foster dialogue between European and African stakeholders on issues of restitution, memory, and heritage transmission.

Cécile’s participation in this event reflects her engagement with contemporary debates on the circulation of heritage and collaborative approaches to research on the history of collections.