MOWAA, Where Art Meets Archeology
Yinka Olatunbosun
The red soil leading to the entrance of the Museum of West African Art offered no clue to the sight that lay ahead. Equipped with safety gear, a handful of journalists made their way past the construction site to locate the MOWAA Institute, which is a part of the ambitious museum project. An independent, non-profit, MOWAA is dedicated to preserving heritage and expanding knowledge, especially in developmental archaeology, which involves research into the archaeological value of an object.
Benin City is not just a relevant site to this project but a necessary and timely intervention to the question of West Africa’s eroded history and a pathway to cultural repatriation. A cultural hub such as MOWAA has served as a gateway into knowledge of history and archaeology in many cities. A case in point is The Box Museum in Plymouth, UK, which holds valuable exhibits, mostly archaeological findings about Devonport’s 200 years of existence and its contribution to the European economy. Likewise, Benin City holds a prestigious stake in West African history and cultural heritage. Hence, this monumental project by MOWAA comes with a multidisciplinary offering to create holistic cultural education.
The single-storey MOWAA Institute building stands at 43,000 square feet with a sustainable interior space for state-of-the-art facilities for archaeological research, conservation, and public programs. The building features an atrium exhibition gallery with views into the collection study area, a 100-seat auditorium, conference rooms, conservation laboratories, a library, and an outdoor amphitheatre.
Walking over interlocked wires laid on the floor, the final state of the building can almost be pictured. Retaining elements of the mud-wall structures in Benin City towards meeting global standards of sustainability, the MOWAA Institute building is a sight to behold, designed by Adjaye Associates, with the Lagos-based firm of MOE+ responsible for construction supervision.
A preview event of its first purpose-built building, the MOWAA Institute, was held on November 4 and 5, titled Museum in the Making: A Space for Critical Conversations and Reflection.’ Expectedly, it gave a glimpse of the future of heritage preservation and education.
The two-day event sparked critical conversations about the future of museum practice in West Africa as thought leaders such as Prof. Chika Okeke-Agulu, Robert Schirmer (Professors of Art & Archaeology and African American Studies at Princeton University, respectively), Prof. Shadreck Chirikure (Edward Hall Professor of Archaeological Science and Director of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art at Oxford University), and Patrick Oronsaye, a well-respected Member of Ekaiwe Royal and the grandson of Oba Eweka, as well as other distinguished intellectuals and cultural practitioners, rose up to the occasion.
Amongst other issues, the discussions were focused on the changing role of arts organisations in urban transformation and sustainable development, as well as how archaeological technologies might challenge misconceptions about Africa’s past.
The significance of African leadership in cultural preservation and the ethics of restitution were also brought to the fore while participants were taken on guided tours of the MOWAA campus and institute, participatory workshops on traditional pottery and rammed earth buildings, and enthralling performances by local and international artists. Visitors were also to share their ideas about the role of museums in African contexts, confirming MOWAA’s philosophy of being a responsible, dynamic institution.
The two-day event brought together MOWAA’s current donors and partners, which included the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the German Foreign Office. US-based Mellon Foundation, and other corporate leaders, international artists, and local cultural practitioners. It was an opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of people who have played critical roles in bringing MOWAA’s vision to life, as well as to offer an invitation to potential supporters who share MOWAA’s passion for reinventing African art and history.
Professor Chirikure remarked at the opening of MOWAA Institute: “MOWAA is not an everyday museum; it is an art gallery, a collections repository, a centre for research, and a platform for bringing artists and communities together to co-curate and co-create heritage. When complete, MOWAA will represent a rare breed of African museums institutions dedicated to curation, research, and bringing communities to museum practice. The MOWAA institute will train a new generation of African researchers at home, using the best standards and cutting edge on home soil.”
Sharing his perspective at the preview, Ore Disu, MOWAA Institutes Director, said: “One of my first priorities would be to establish conservation and collections management practices that respond to our tropical climate, designed as practical and shareable protocols. If we truly want to support other museums and existing collections—which we do—we have to get the fundamental right. The reality is that there are limited grants for African research and educational institutions. Our focus will be to develop professionals with marketable skills beyond pure research while expanding African-led scholarship.”
Through ongoing partnerships, MOWAA—formed in 2020—offers programmes and resources that foster deeper connections between contemporary art and culture and the rich heritage of West Africa while creating a centre of excellence for African and diaspora artists and cultural scholarship.
