Rob van Leijsen, Art Handling in Oblivion, 2014

Art Handling in Oblivion assembles five art collections that have been stolen during key historical events, either by regimes or organised individuals. Seizure of art is one of most hidden and underestimated objectives of war. Behind conquering campaigns lurk hidden stories of deprived cultural heritage and devastation of the enemy’s cultural identity. Bringing home the enemy’s treasures is first of all a tangible proof of victory. The booty entails an enrichment of the own culture and shifts the composition of cultural heritage on a global scale. Some of the discussed collections have been found and restituted, others are still in hostile possession or missing. Art Handling in Oblivion is published as Volume 1 (#501) of the paperback series Fink twice by Edition fink, originally presented by Rob van Leijsen as his thesis for the Space & communication master program at HEAD – Genève in 2012.