26 pieces of cultural heritage — first looted, then presented as museum objects in France — have returned to Benin. How should they be welcomed home? One answer comes from French-Beninese curator, researcher, and film critic Clémentine Dramani-Issifou (Curatorial Intensive alumna Dakar ‘16), who will join ICI on March 22nd to discuss her most recent curatorial project, Tofodji: dans les pas de nos ancêtres (Tofodji: In the footsteps of our ancestors). Activating public spaces in Porto Novo, Benin with works by contemporary artists and contributions from local youth, the show focused on the human relationships to looted and repatriated objects and foregrounded notions of healing and hospitality. Conceptualized as a ceremony of encounters that engendered mutual recognition between the objects and the diverse residents of Porto Novo, the exhibition provided avenues for a community to reconnect with long-lost pieces of cultural heritage.
Watch Now! Clémentine Dramani-Issifou on Returning Cultural Heritage
Farah Clémentine Dramani-Issifou is a curator, film festival organizer, and researcher.
This program was supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
