MOWAA to Unveil Landmark Cultural Institute in Benin City This November

From Staff Writer

 

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) is poised to launch a major addition to Nigeria’s cultural landscape with the official opening of the MOWAA Institute on 11 November 2025. The new facility, located in Benin City, represents the first public building in MOWAA’s ambitious campus master plan, aimed at transforming the city into a thriving centre for African art and heritage.

 

Spanning approximately 4,500 square metres, the Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for conservation, archaeological research, public programming, and collection storage. It forms the foundation of a larger campus that will, by 2028, include a Rainforest Gallery, Artist Studios, an Art Guesthouse and an Artisans’ Hall.

 

To mark the opening, MOWAA will debut its inaugural exhibition *Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming*, a restaging of the Nigerian Pavilion from the 60th Venice Biennale. Curated by Aindrea Emelife, the exhibition will feature works by some of the country’s most celebrated contemporary artists, including Kelani Abass, Modupeola Fadugba, Ngozi-Omeje Ezema, and Isaac Emokpae. Running until 11 April 2026, the exhibition will occupy various spaces across the newly unveiled campus.

 

As part of efforts to ensure artists are integral to the Institute’s future, MOWAA has also launched its inaugural Artist Council. Comprising high-profile African and diaspora artists such as Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Michael Armitage, Victor Ehikhamenor, Nengi Omuku, Dr Odun Orimolade, and Kaloki Nyamai, the council will serve in an advisory capacity over a two-year term. Members are expected to shape programming, mentorship, exhibitions, and residencies.

 

“This is not a ceremonial committee; it is an engine of collective authorship,” said Emelife, underlining the council’s role in co-creating the institution’s vision.

 

Beyond its artistic mission, MOWAA is deepening institutional partnerships through a long-term collaboration with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). The agreement includes a multi-year lending scheme for historic Nigerian artefacts, investment in conservation infrastructure, and local capacity building.

 

Additional support has been secured through a strategic partnership with the French Embassy in Nigeria, encompassing cultural preservation, archival training, mobile technology applications for heritage, and broader creative sector development.

 

Ore Disu, Director of the MOWAA Institute, expressed optimism about the initiative’s impact: “MOWAA is committed to working with others to build a regenerative and interconnected creative ecosystem.”

 

Launching during Nigeria’s bustling annual art season, the Institute’s opening is expected to boost regional access to world-class cultural resources and reinforce Benin City’s emerging status as a hub for both historical and contemporary African art.