Symposium "Exhibiting Difficult Histories: Benin Objects and their Potential for New Forms of Representation"

The recent dynamics around restitution and the transfer of ownership have resulted, and continue to result in new ways of presenting Benin works. On the occasion of launching a newly curated part of the Benin exhibition in the Humboldt Forum, this panel focuses on the display of Benin objects in current exhibitions and their potential for new forms of representation. It brings together case studies from different museums in Germany, Britain, the US and Nigeria, all of which deal with the objects they house from their very own situatedness.

Together with the guests, the Ethnologisches Museum investigates museum strategies of exhibiting: Which forms of representation do they adopt to historicize the collections? How do they aim to incorporate a polyphony of voices in their exhibitions? Which role does modern and contemporary art play in newly curated Benin exhibitions?

This event gives the chance to deepen the connections between academia and museums on a national as well as international level. As a learning and process-oriented institution, the Ethnologisches Museum is interested to critically examine our own process of exhibiting and to do so together with the guests.

Interested parties may follow the live streaming or attend in person. To attend the symposium in person, please register for the event by sending an email to G.Salami@smb.spk-berlin.de and include the word “Symposium” in the subject field. Please note that seating is limited. To participate online, please use this link.

Find out more: https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm