Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Consul General, Federal Republic of Germany, Weert Boerner has commended the initiative and the executions of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) institute in Edo State.
Boerner described the institute building as modern, with a feature of unique African architecture and design, as well as cutting-edge technology.
The Consul General disclosed this during the MOWAA preview event of its first purpose-built building, the MOWAA Institute in Benin City.
The two-day event was aimed at sparking critical conversations about the future of museum practice in West Africa.
“I am pleased to say that we are proud to be a part of this project, through financial support from the German Foreign Office for the construction and operation of this ‘museum in the making’ over the last two years”, Boerner said.
Formed in 2020 as an independent, non-profit organization, MOWWA said it was dedicated to education, learning and skills development aimed at the preservation of heritage and the celebration of West African arts and culture.
MOWAA Institutes Director, Ore Disu, said the museum’s was poised on creating something that gives Black and African people a sense of their place in the world and platforms to articulate what happens next.
Disu added: “Without robust records and monuments, it can be difficult to visualise what Africa societies built, invented and achieved. No Akan, Yoruba or Edo person should ever doubt the sophistication of their ancestors.”
Also, the Director-General, National Council for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway said MOWAA has raised the bar, adding: “So, anything we do at the federal level must match and tie into this vision.”
Truth Live News Media reports reports that the two-day 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.
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.
The single-story MOWAA Institute building provides approximately 4,000 square meters (43,000 square feet) of highly 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 amphitheater.
Set within the ancient moats of the Benin Kingdom, the rammed-earth construction links the building to the West African heritage that will be honored by MOWAA throughout the Campus.
The building also serves as a model for the care and preservation of the many other mud-wall structures in Benin City and meets global standards of sustainability.