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MOWAA, rare breed of African museums — Don

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6 months ago

Hundreds of thousands of historical artworks from Africa remain outside the continent, including (clockwise from top left): an Oduduwa helmet mask made of bronze from Benin City in Nigeria, housed at the British Museum in London; the “Royal Seat of the Kingdom of Dahomey” from Benin Republic, at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris; an ivory receptacle with figurative relief and stopper from the Loango coast, part of modern-day Republic of Congo, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; a Central African power figure from the coast of Congo and Angola, now at the Met; a Mbangu mask from southern Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, housed at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium; a head of a royal ancestor from the former Benin Kingdom, a part of modern-day Nigeria, displayed at the Quai Branly; and a carved ivory pendant mask of Queen Idia, inlaid with iron and bronze, from Benin Kingdom, now at the British Museum. CREDIT: © Trustees of the British Museum; Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Royal Museum for Central Africa; Philippe Wojazer/Reuters; © Trustees of the British Museum

Professor Shadreck Chirikure, Edward Hall Professor of Archaeological Science and Director of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art at Oxford University, has stated that the Museum of West Africa Art (MOWAA) will represent a groundbreaking institution—a first-world museum in Africa.

Speaking at the conclusion of a two-day event, Professor Chirikure emphasized that the MOWAA Institute would be a pioneering facility, training a new generation of African researchers at home, adhering to the best standards and utilizing cutting-edge practices on African soil.

“MOWAA is not just an ordinary museum. It is an art gallery, a repository of collections, a center for research, and a platform to bring artists and communities together to co-curate and co-create heritage,” said Professor Chirikure.

“When complete, MOWAA will represent a rare breed of African museums—institutions dedicated to curation, research, and community engagement in museum practices. The MOWAA Institute will train a new generation of African researchers using world-class standards and cutting-edge techniques right here in Africa,” he added.

At the event, MOWAA Institute’s Director, Ore Disu, shared her vision for the future: “One of my primary goals will be to establish conservation and collection management practices that are specifically designed for our tropical climate, creating practical and shareable protocols.”

“If we truly want to support other museums and existing collections—which we do—we must get the fundamentals right. The reality is that there are limited grants for African research and educational institutions. Our focus will be on developing professionals with marketable skills, beyond pure research, while expanding African-led scholarship,” Disu explained.

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Formed in 2020, MOWAA is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to education, learning, and skills development aimed at preserving heritage, expanding knowledge, and celebrating West African arts and culture.

“Through ongoing partnerships, MOWAA offers programs and resources that foster deeper connections between contemporary art and culture and the rich heritage of West Africa. It also creates a center of excellence for African and diaspora artists and scholars,” she added.

The MOWAA Institute and its creative campus in the historic heart of Benin City will feature multiple buildings and public spaces designed for research, education, display, performance, and the enhancement of arts and culture tourism. The campus is being developed through a collaboration between local and international architects.

“The MOWAA campus will serve as an ecosystem to nurture, inspire, and showcase creatives and heritage professionals. It will build connections between ancient artistic traditions and contemporary creative practices,” Disu stated. “This campus will be a place to research and understand the past while empowering and celebrating the next generation of culture makers. It will consist of various spaces dedicated to these goals.”