The Judgement of the White Cube

Many white cubes were established through funds obtained from forced labour on plantations. Many sacred objects were looted in these very same regions and now reside within these white cubes. These crimes committed many years ago have gone unpunished in all the courts of the world. The sacred objects plundered and labelled as ‘art’ must be freed.

CATPC — in full: Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise — believes that the existence of white cubes worldwide is only possible because of the forgotten labour of plantation workers. We therefore insist that these white cubes fulfil their obligation to the people of the plantations by repaying their debt. The collective CATPC and the communities in Lusanga and elsewhere have a right to art, and demand financial restitution. The question of restitution and compensation involves the return of the land as well as the art objects imprisoned in these same white cubes.

On the day of the trial, CATPC and the entire local community gather next to the White Cube, located on a former Unilever plantation in Lusanga, in the South-West of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mathieu Kasiama

‘Come, come. The house (the White Cube) I told you about, here it is. We need to file a complaint with MamaZwani (the judge). The White Cubes are built on the sweat from the forced labour on the plantations. We accuse it and we have to arrest it. Therefore, it must go through the assembly of elders.’

[People gather around a circle formed by palm leaves.]

Mbaku Kapungu

‘Assembly of elders, please stand up. MamaZwani has arrived.’

[The group rises as MamaZwani approaches. She joins the circle and sits down.]

MamaZwani

‘The gathering is now in session. Who is filing the complaint?’

[Mathieu Kasiama stands up.]

Mathieu Kasiama

‘Your Honour, thank you. We will lay bare the problem. There are witnesses, the wise men are here too. Maître Bilanga (the representative of the community of plantation workers) will present the case.’

Maître Bilanga

‘Thank you, MamaZwani. This White Cube contains the sweat of the people on the plantations. Here we stand to accuse it. It holds a lot of money and our art. Judge, take it all back and give it back to us.’

MamaZwani

‘Where are the lawyers for this White Cube?’

[A man approaches from outside the circle. The sage Mbaku Kisendu is hired by the accused party, the White Cube, to defend it. He is a lawyer and knows perfectly how to handle modern diplomatic and juridical law. Kisendu doesn’t see a direct or indirect link between the White Cube and the people on the plantation.]

Mbaku Kisendu

‘Yes, I’m here. My respects MamaZwani.’

MamaZwani

‘Speak up!’

[Kisendu raises his voice.]

Mbaku Kisendu

‘This problem that Mathieu Kasiama and his lawyer are raising, is not an important issue. The White Cube brings unity, it brings people together. It creates work and boosts the economy. The White Cube holds the secret for us all to develop. Why do they want to destroy it?’

[MamaZwani claps her hands twice, as if banging a gavel in court.]

MamaZwani

‘Where are the witnesses of this case?’

[The three witnesses come forward.]

Mother Mungulu

‘I’m Mother Mungulu, a tobacco worker. I was born in 1931. All my life I’ve planted tobacco. Look at what my back has become because of this job. We have suffered a lot because of this White Cube!’

Papa Cacao

‘Mother, we’ve suffered. We suffered because of rubber, Mother! If they asked you to produce a hundred kilograms and you couldn’t? They mutilated you. Look at my foot, look at my arm.’ 

Maman Café

‘I’m Mama Café, I suffered on the coffee plantations. But I didn’t benefit from it. I’m giving you my testimony, so you can make a decision about this White Cube.’

MamaZwani

‘Where is the lawyer of this house?’

Mbaku Kisendu

‘MamaZwani, I request the floor.’

MamaZwani

‘Take the floor.’

Mbaku Kisendu

‘My respects, MamaZwani. I’m surprised, you’re wasting your time unnecessarily. This White Cube cares. I told you this earlier on. What harm has this house done? Let them give the proof to convince us that the White Cube is bad. If there is none, it’s all just lies.’

[Maître Bilanga rises out of the circle, with a file in his hands.]

Maître Bilanga

‘MamaZwani, I request the floor.’

MamaZwani

‘Take the floor.’

Maître Bilanga

‘Thank you, MamaZwani. I think Kisendu has just asked for proof. Here is the proof. May the wise man read it to us so that we can all hear it. Thank you.’

[The wise man, Mbaku Kapungu, takes the paper from Maître Bilanga and rises to his feet.]

Mbaku Kapungu

‘Dear brothers and sisters, we read the proof of papa Mathieu Kasiama. Concerning Tate Modern: it is a museum in London, financed with profits from tobacco produced by forced labour on plantations in Brazil. Lady Lever Gallery is a museum in Liverpool, financed with earnings from palm oil, produced by forced labour on plantations, here in Congo. The Van Abbemuseum is a museum in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. It is financed with profits from palm oil plantations in Indonesia. It’s the same with the Stedelijk Museum, in Amsterdam: the plantation in Indonesia financed the construction of the museum.’

[Meanwhile, Mbaku Kisendu stands slightly apart from the group and seeks to draw Maître Bilanga’s attention.]

Mbaku Kisendu

‘Come, come here. Get down first.’

[Mbaku Kisendu gets on his knees, pulls a handful of money out of his bag and shows it to Maître Bilanga.]

Mbaku Kisendu

‘Look, you see what’s here? This is a lot of money. With this money you can make an exhibition on decolonisation.’

Maître Bilanga

‘An exhibition in a museum to decolonise ourselves? You are trying to bribe us!’

Mbaku Kisendu

‘It’s a lot of money, this will help you change things.’

Maître Bilanga

‘Decolonising ourselves with dirty money from forced labour?’

[Mathieu Kasiama steps out of the circle where the assembly of the elders is seated and intervenes.]

Mathieu Kasiama

‘Maître Bilanga, what’s going on here?’

Maître Bilanga

‘He tried to bribe me, but it didn’t work.’

Mathieu Kasiama

‘Let’s go back to MamaZwani, the assembly of the elders is this way.’

[Mathieu Kasiama seizes Maître Bilanga’s arm and pulls him back into the group.]

Mathieu Kasiama

‘This White Cube is indebted to us. This house must return everything that has been taken away. Everything needs to happen here, in front of MamaZwani. Not elsewhere, not secretly.’

[Mathieu Kasiama points with both hands to the White Cube, situated behind MamaZwani. MamaZwani walks away with Mbaku Kapungu and Mbaku Bisoni towards the White Cube. They are engaged in conversation. The assembly of the elders is waiting in silence. After a while they return to the group, MamaZwani claps her hands twice.]

MamaZwani

‘We have come to a decision about the issue that Mathieu Kasiama has raised. The White Cube has to give us back our land. Until then we are taking it hostage. Go ahead, police!’

[A few of the members in the circle walk to the White Cube, armed with wooden sticks as guns. They keep their weapons pointed up towards the White Cube.]

Mbaku Bisoni

‘Mothers and fathers of the plantation, take the whip. The time has come. Let’s punish this house. Hit it with the whip, MamaZwani said so.’

[The assembly of the elders take the leaves from the ground and strike them hard against the White Cube, while shouting: ‘Return the land that has been stolen from us! We also demand the liberation of the sculpture of Balot!’ After a while, blood drips down from the walls of the White Cube. A man runs out of the White Cube, begging for the smashing to stop. He is the personification of the White Cube, the hitting hurts him.]

White Cube

‘Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. I’m your brother, your friend, don’t hit me anymore. I ask for your forgiveness. I will never again do you any harm. Please!’

[MamaZwani bows to the man on the ground.]

MamaZwani

‘Say it with more sincerity. Ask for forgiveness.’

White Cube

‘Forgive me, forgive me. I’m your friend. The pain is excruciating on my back. Someone hit me, they hit me a lot. I will give you back your land, you will be happy. I will give you back all your objects, every last one. My friends, I will do it. I know there’s a lot of debt, but I’m going to pay back. I will take responsibility and also return the Balot sculpture that belongs to your community.’

The White Cube asks for forgiveness from all the people who were present at the trial. He also seeks forgiveness from other people residing on former plantations, for all the crimes, atrocities and violence perpetrated by the ruthless capitalist system on the plantations, from which the White Cube has benefited greatly. The White Cube commits to convincing other white cubes worldwide to contribute to the repair and support of communities living and working on plantations globally in their efforts to decolonise, and to ensuring their steadfast dedication to making this a reality soon.