‘MOWAA’ Sinks Deeper in Controversy, Fails to Recognize Benin Cultural Institution… We’ll Support Museums, Cultural Organisations in West Africa – Director
Phillip Ihenacho (ED, Museum of West African Art, MOWAA); Ore Disu (Director, MOWAA Institute); Myma Belo-Osagie (Vice Chair, MOWAA Board); and Olugbile Holloway (DG, NCMM) at the MOWAA Institute preview event, the museum's first purpose-built building in Benin.
By Ikhili Ebalu
Amidst unabated controversy, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) has made clear its objective, saying, it will support museums and cultural organisations in West Africa and also serve as an intellectual and “cultural monument” for the region and putting MOWAA at the forefront of current African museum practice.
The Philip Ihenancho led private museum however failed to acknowledge the preeminence of Benin cultural heritage and the leading role of Benin tradition and culture in the management of historical and contemporary arts, as notable persons and institutions have been left out of the ill conceived project.
Several stakeholders have kicked against MOWAA which the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki conceived to house the looted Benin Court Arts during the 1897 British Punitive war against the Benin Kingdom, in anticipation of their return.
Majority of Nigerians, including the federal government through a Gazette, under the leadership of ex president Mohammadu Buhari have demanded that the artefacts should be exhibited inside a Benin Royal Museum to reflect the historical trajectory of the globally acclaimed bronzes.
Ore Disu, MOWAA Institute’s Director, told her audience without reference to well established traditional institutions at the event in Benin City during the week, that the Institute is an “intellectual and cultural monument for the region.”
The private trustee business made their position known at the pre-opening of MOWAA preview event to showcase its first purpose-built building, the ‘MOWAA Institute Nestled’ which has replaced the former the iconic Central Hospital in the centre of Benin City, that was demolished by Obaseki and donated to MOWAA board of trustees.
Disu said the event was aimed at sparking ‘critical conversations’ about the future of museum practice in West Africa.
According to the MOWAA Institute director, the event brought together “MOWAA’s current donors and partners, which included the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), the German Foreign Office, US-based Mellon Foundation, and other corporate leaders, international artists, and local cultural practitioners.” She was silent on the role Edo State Government has played in the project.
She said it was an opportunity to recognize 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.
“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.”
According to Disu, the “MOWAA Campus is an ecosystem to nurture, inspire, and showcase creatives and heritage professionals, building connections between ancient artistic traditions and the contemporary creative practices.”
Disu added that “the institute will be a place to research and understand the past and empower and celebrate the next generation of culture makers, just as she explained that the campus will be made up of several spaces.
“We already delivering on this, via our formal collaboration with NCMM, which includes capacity building and support in the areas of archaeology, digital conservation, and heritage management,” she said.
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