Raising the Bar for MOWAA at a Lagos Fundraiser

Yinka  Olatunbosun

MUSEUM

The lush garden at Miliki, an exclusive spot in Lagos, was a melting pot of creatives in Nigeria recently when a member of the Development Board, MOWAA, Ike Chioke and his wife, Yvonne hosted a fundraiser ahead of the launch of  MOWAA campus in Benin-City, Edo State. The event was designed to woo investors in the creative sector towards making the dream institute a reality.

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA)   is dedicated to the preservation of heritage, the expansion of knowledge and celebration of West African arts and culture. Thus far, the  project has been supported by several international organisations including the  Open Society Foundation, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the Edo State government, and the A.G. Leventis Foundation. The US-based Mellon Foundation has also provided significant funding. Additionally, MOWAA has secured support from the National Gallery of Art (NGA), the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), and the British Museum.

With the new wave of foreign aid cuts, it becomes imperative for cultural institutions such as MOWAA to seek support locally from investors who are vested in the creative economy. The fundraiser which began with a reception and cocktails later moved to the first floor of the exclusive lounge where a documentary on the MOWAA project was screened.

Ike Chioke, who is also the managing director of Afrinvest, later disclosed in a chat how the museum project that kicked off in 2019 has enjoyed support as a non-profit entity. “This evening, we’re going to talk about it and speak to people who are interested in the arts, who love culture, understand the heritage and  the importance of preserving Nigeria’s heritage and traditions because it’s really not just a museum in the traditional sense of it,” he announced. “It’s more like an institute which is discussing and teaching Nigerians about themselves and about our heritage.

“It is the only EDGE-certified museum in the world, and it sits atop the largest archaeological site excavation in Nigerian history.”

MOWAA is set to build the first climate-controlled storage for artifacts in Nigeria and perhaps Africa which is crucial in retrieving the stolen artifacts. The curator for MOWAA, Aindrea Emelife, explained why the safety of the artifacts are non-negotiable in this project. “Most of the western countries who are sitting on thousands of these artefacts insist that if they are to return them, they must be housed in a proper storage facility, and they must be housed in a secure facility,” she disclosed. “So, what we’ve done with the museum is just provide a storage space, and any artifact that happens to be there will be beautifully displayed for all to come and see and appreciate.”

On the opening of the MOWAA Institute slated for November this year, she said that there would be a homecoming of the Nigeria Imaginary exhibition, which was cynosure of all eyes at the Nigerian pavilion with its debut at the Venice Biennale.

“When you come to MOWAA in November, what I think will be exciting is a demonstration of a new way of seeing art in Nigeria. We’ll be looking at art that is historical, modern and contemporary in many ways, creating a long continuum of creativity as it relates to West Africa, but principally for Nigeria. The exhibition of Nigeria Imaginary will have contemporary commissions by some incredible artists of Nigerian descent, but also will feature important periodicals that are very important for shaping Nigerian modernism.”

When asked about the sustainability plan for the institution, the Director of MOWAA, Phillip Ihenacho highlighted two sources of income. “One is continual donations,” he responded. “So we’re setting up a membership scheme, if you join as a member, that entitles you to a number of privileges; privileged access to exhibitions. But also, we run seminars, educational programming, and others. As a member, you are able to access some of these things. And then secondly, we are plugged into the international foundations. Organisations like Ford Foundation, Getty Foundation, Mellon Foundation and others are also providing support for us.”

The Director, MOWAA, Ore Disu, expanded the conversation to the exciting programmes ahead, including artist residencies, conservation efforts and knowledge production initiatives.

“We are shifting gears from building a concept to activating a campus,” she said, noting that MOWAA would soon be hosting scholars, traditional craft makers and contemporary creators to foster critical dialogue and collaboration.