Rama and Onésime take pictures of themselves in front of the showcases of the thrones of Kings Ghézo and Glélé. “How did geniuses manage to sculpt such a thing? These are proofs of our great history! », rave these Beninese heritage students who came to Cotonou by bus with their class. These majestic seats welcome the public in one of the two wings of the presidential palace, transformed into a free museum over more than 2,000 m2. A place usually inaccessible, chosen for “to mark the republican symbolism”, according to the Minister of Culture, Jean-Michel Abimbola.
“The power of our ancestors”
Some prostrate themselves before the thrones, like Dah Gansé Agonglo. In traditional dress, this member of the royal family of Abomey, where these treasures were looted by French soldiers in the late nineteenth centurye century, expresses its “great pride. It proves the power of our ancestors. The deposed king Béhanzin had said: “Everything that leaves the kingdom will come back.” Thank you to the French people who knew how to preserve our goods! “I have goosebumps, it seems incredible that these pieces are in front of us”, confides Izath Deen, stylist. With her three daughters, she can’t leave as much as they want “to soak up”.
→ EXPLANATION. Benin awaits the return of its royal treasures
Beyond the history they embody, these pieces testify to a spirituality that touches the public. Attentive to the explanations of one of the many guides, a group lingers in front of the asenvoodoo ritual objects dedicated to ancestor worship. “There is a force that only we Beninese can feel”, says Toussaint Gnimassoun, 69. Aïchatou, a thirty-something shopkeeper, says she has been transformed by contact with these objects. “They were stolen from us but they make us who we are. It’s like I’ve denied myself all my life and now I find myself! »
More than a hundred contemporary Beninese works
Happy to have traveled three hours to show this heritage to his children, Ishmael has a touch of concern: “I hope that these objects, which are more than a century old, will live for more than a century. »This father was unaware that the journey continued with an exhibition of more than a hundred creations by around thirty Beninese artists, in a huge and bright room divided into white spaces. “I can’t imagine that I’m in Benin, it’s too strong”, exclaims Josaphat Chicanon, a young pastry chef.
→ DEBATE. Should we generalize the restitution of works of art?
Visitors take the time to read the explanatory panels, multiply the souvenir photos. “I discover the richness of our art todayenthuses one of them. Our artists are really unknown. If I can, I’ll come back. » There will be time, the event lasts until the end of May.