--- title: "Art Plundered From Africa Stolen Back, Sold as NFTs" description: "A new NFT project aims to steal African artifacts back from Western colonialists — and it's actually pretty freakin' awesome." date: "2022-05-27" modified: "2022-05-27" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/looty-plundered-art-stolen-back-nfts" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" tags: - "art" - "museums" - "nfts" - "the digest" - "the metaverse" --- # Art Plundered From Africa Stolen Back, Sold as NFTs ![A new NFT project aims to steal African artifacts back from Western colonialists — and it's actually pretty freakin' awesome.]() *\Image: Looty via Twitter\* ## NFT Robin Hood Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is arguably pretty awesome — but stealing from colonial museums to put money back in the pockets of African artists is, somehow, even cooler. Billing itself as "the world's first digital repatriation of stolen art to the Metaverse," the [Looty non-fungible token]() (NFT) project aims to digitally "steal" ancient African art back from [institutions like the British Museum](), sell the NFTs they make from the art, and use some of the proceeds to fund young African artists. The "Looters" behind this project, which was [started by Nigerian artist Chidi Nwaubani](), claim on their website that their "roadmap ensures that all cultural significant artworks are given back to their correct owners, facilitating access and economic participation" — finally, a sensible and respectable use of the technology. ## Victorian AF Though the project's name happens to be a tongue-in-cheek portmanteau of the words "looting" and "booty," the name actually has a much deeper and more sinister meaning as well. Looty was the [name infamously given to a Pekingese Lion dog](), which was gifted to England's Queen Victoria in 1860 after a colonial captain looted her from the Chinese Summer Palace in Beijing during the Opium Wars. Presented to the queen as part of a "royal collection of dogs," Looty's name "makes rather ironic reference to her origins and acquisition," the NFT collective notes on [its website](). https://twitter.com/LootyNFT/status/1524022641446866945 ## Postcolonial The project, its name, and its stated purpose grapple with concepts that have long been familiar to the art world — but which have, seemingly, gone unexplored by the NFT community. It's also quite possibly one of the first NFT projects we have ever seen that actually seems kind of cool — which is a feat unto itself given how the community surrounding these virtual assets has [drawn lots of scorn]() and [hilarity]() ever since the term NFT became a household name not long ago. **READ MORE:** ['Looty' project launches digital art heists to reclaim African artifacts]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on NFTs of extant works of art:** *[Broke Museums are Selling NFTs of Famous Paintings by Raphael and Da Vinci ]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()