In Dialogue with Benin.
Art, Colonialism and Restitution
In 1897 the British army conquered Benin City in what is now
present-day Nigeria and plundered thousands of ceremonial
items and objects of prestige from the palace. Exquisitely
carved ivories and brass relief plaques became trade commodities
and ultimately found their way into European
museum collections. A number of looted cultural assets from
that era can also be found in the Museum Rietberg collection.
How should we as a museum approach this issue? How do
we convey the rich cultural and artistic history of the Kingdom
of Benin which began long before colonialism and still lives
on in Nigeria’s vibrant art scene? The exhibition sheds light on
the origin and history of these artworks and displays them
alongside selected items from other African art regions in the
Museum Rietberg collection. “In Dialogue with Benin” was
developed in close collaboration with partners from Nigeria
and the pan-African diaspora in Switzerland. It aims to address
and encourage debate from various perspectives on such
issues as colonial injustice, restitution, cultural heritage and
identity.
PROGRAM
Thu, 22.8.24, 6 pm
Opening with Music DE EN followed by an individual visit of the exhibition
Registration: rietberg.ch / benin
Sa / Sat, 24.8.24, 15 Uhr / 3 pm
Uromwen EN
Performance with Josephine Ebiuwa Abbe & Edo Cultural Art Forum and artist talk
Sa / Sat, 5.10.24, 15 Uhr / 3 pm Artist Talk with Samson Ogiamien und Uriel Orlow
Sa / Sat, 5.10.24, 10 Uhr / 10 am
Sa / Sat, 7.12.24, 10 Uhr / 10 am
Workshop zum Bronzeguss der verlorenen Form aus Benin DE EN
Workshop on lost wax bronze casting from Benin DE EN
mit / with Samson Ogiamien
https://rietberg.ch/en/exhibitions/indialoguewithbenin
