The National Museum Lagos, 2021. Photo: Sanya Onolaja.
Examine the colonial exploitation of Nigerian museums and how we might rewrite their histories to reflect the locals’ accounts and understanding.
Nigerian museums were established and interpreted by the British colonialists, the same people who historize Nigeria’s art and culture. During the colonial period, Africans were seen as retarded and uncivilized, therefore, the Europeans who went to Africa were there with the intention to change them and train them to live in an “acceptable” civilized way. They created a Eurocentric dominated narrative about African art and culture that was mainly influenced by their Western perspective and their experience in Africa as visitors. Cultural and art objects were classified and translated through European museum paradigms and policies.
Unfortunately, African museums, with a specific focus on Nigeria, have continued to uphold the same history attached to their establishment with little or no change. National museums in Nigeria, governed by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), are functioning under a modification of the antiquities policy that established them with no visible improvement.
How might we rewrite Nigerian museum histories to reflect the locals’ accounts and understanding? With the use of Foucault’s idea of Dispositif, Titilope Salami will examine the history of museums in Nigeria explaining their colonial exploitation and how the narrative has not changed despite the country’s independence. Salami will also discuss how ethnicity, class, and educational and professional backgrounds have continued to influence Nigerian museum discourse.
About the presenter:
Titilope Salami, an artist and curator, is a doctoral student in the department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory at the University of British Columbia. She is currently conducting her Ph.D. research in the history and policies of West African museums. She is a recipient of SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship (2021-2024).
Register for the event to receive the Zoom link:
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Antje Ziethen at antje.ziethen@ubc.ca.
This event is hosted by UBC’s Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies in collaboration with the African Studies program. It is organized by Dr. Antje Ziethen, Assistant Professor of French.
