1. Did the export and import violate Brazilian law?
To our knowledge, all objects were exported or imported in accordance with Brazilian law, in particular the regulations on the protection of cultural property and species. This was also confirmed again by the Brazilian Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main in a letter dated 19.01.2022.
2. Did the import of the objects violate EU or FRG law?
To our knowledge, all objects were imported in accordance with the regulations in force at the time of import. The objects were imported before 1973 and the current European and national laws were not yet in force at that time.
3. Do the objects have a colonial reference?
To our knowledge, there is no colonial reference whatsoever. They are exclusively everyday objects that can still be purchased today.
4. Are the feather decorations parts of endangered species?
We are not aware of this. The issue is currently being examined. The WWF, as part of this exhibition, has not expressed any concerns so far.
5. Who owns the collection or the objects?
The collection and the objects are all owned by a Brazilian foundation.
6. Is the foundation officially registered in Brazil?
Yes, it is registered under the number CNPJ 04.089.250/0001-09.
7. Are there agreements between the Pavel family, NEKREI e.V. and the Fundacao Pavel Foundation, which is now the owner of the properties?
Yes, there is an agreement on the free transfer to the NEKREI e.V. association.
8. How were the objects acquired?
The objects were bought at Casa Amazonas in Sao Paulo or given to the family on the occasion of their visits to tribes by Indians (before 1973).
9. Were the properties acquired with the knowledge of the Brazilian indigenous authority?
Yes, if the objects were purchased and not donated, this was done officially in a shop known to FUNAI in San Paulo.
10. Is the exhibition open to the public?
Yes, by appointment request, as this is a private exhibition.
11. Will the objects be officially exhibited for the first time?
No, the objects were first shown in 1998 at the Museum Ludwig Forum of the city of Aachen and again in 2018 at the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl.
12. Who was involved in the first exhibition at the Ludwig Forum in 1998?
The occasion for the exhibition in the Ludwig Forum in 1998 was the 100th anniversary of the Aachen-based company Rheinnadel GmbH. In addition to the GmbH, the Pavel family, the ethnologist and anthropologist Luiz Boglár and the City of Aachen in cooperation with Prof. Becker of the Ludwig Forum were among those who contributed to the exhibition.
13. Who was involved in the exhibition at the Max Ernst Museum?
The exhibition in Brühl was mainly characterised by Robert Wilson, an internationally renowned US theatre and opera director, set designer, designer and artist.
14. Have similar objects been officially exhibited in Germany recently?
Yes, 2020 in Wiesbaden.
15. Are the (temporary) whereabouts of the objects in Germany known to the Brazilian authorities?
Yes, there is a letter from the Brazilian Consulate General in Frankfurt.
16. does Brazil make a claim for restitution?
No, because they are utilitarian objects, all of which are postcolonial and can still be acquired today.
17. Is there an exact list of the objects and are the Brazilian authorities aware of it?
Yes, the exhibition list is available at the Brazilian Consulate General in Frankfurt.
18. Can such objects still be acquired in Brazil today?
Yes, even without the permission of the Brazilian indigenous authority FUNAI, such properties can still be acquired.
19. Does the exhibition have another purpose besides displaying the objects?
Yes, it is intended to create climate awareness to draw attention to the current environmental problems in the Amazon. For more information, visit the website www.nekrei.org.
20. Is the exhibition supported by the Brazilian Consulate General in Frankfurt?
Yes, the Brazilian Consulate General in Frankfurt has taken over the patronage.
21. Were the properties acquired with the knowledge of the Brazilian Indigenous Authority?
Yes, the objects were officially acquired in a shop known to FUNAI in San Paulo.
22. Is the provenance of all objects known?
Yes, all exhibited objects come from the Amazon region of Brazil. See also question 26. Almost all objects are labelled accordingly, as far as labels have not been lost over the years.
23. Have the objects been examined by ethnologists or museums?
Yes. The ethnologist Luíz Boglár, who is also classified by the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne as an "expert on the subject", viewed and catalogued the objects as part of the 1998 exhibition. The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne rates the catalogue as "very informative". See also question 26.
24. Is the exhibition endorsed by other museums or artists?
Yes, for example, the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne welcomed the exhibition of objects from the modern era in a letter dated 10 July 2020 to the city of Aachen and emphasised the uniqueness of the collection.
25. Are there several exhibitions of this kind in Germany or Europe?
No, not as far as we know, because this is an exhibition of Brazilian indigenous commercial art which, in addition to the exhibition itself, aims to draw international attention to the looming exploitation of nature in the Amazon and the consequences this has for all of us.
26. Who compiled the catalogue that is the basis for the exhibition?
The catalogue was compiled by the internationally renowned ethnologist Luíz Boglár, who lived in Brazil for a long time and travelled to the Amazon tribes several times, and published by the internationally renowned Museum Ludwig Forum. See also the book "Nekrei: Feather Art of the Indians of Brazil", 1998.
