Albert-Kahn Museum Revisits 1930 Dahomey Mission with Contemporary African Artists
The Musée départemental Albert-Kahn in Paris will host an exhibition titled "A Return Trip to Benin. Shared Perspectives on Dahomey in 1930" from October 14, 2025, to June 14, 2026. This display centers on films and photographs from a 1930 expedition to what is now Benin, led by missionary Francis Aupiais and filmmaker Frédéric Gadmer. The project yielded 1,102 autochromes and 140 film reels, showcasing one of France's earliest ethnographic collections. The exhibit will feature digitized materials from the musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and contemporary African artists who address colonial themes. The museum has attracted over 600,000 visitors since its 2022 revamp.
Key facts
- Exhibition runs 14 October 2025 – 14 June 2026
- Curated by Julien Faure-Conorton and David-Sean Thomas
- Features 1,102 autochromes and 140 film reels from 1930 mission
- Films digitized in 4K and projected in immersive large format
- Objects loaned from musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
- Seven contemporary African artists contribute new works
- Mission was the only Archives de la Planète foray into sub-Saharan Africa
- Albert-Kahn Museum renovated in 2022 by architect Kengo Kuma
Entities
Artists
- Frédéric Gadmer
- Francis Aupiais
- Albert Kahn
- Ishola Akpo
- Thulani Chauke
- Sènami Donoumassou
- Bronwyn Lace
- Roméo Mivekannin
- Angelo Moustapha
- Marcus Neustetter
- Julien Faure-Conorton
- David-Sean Thomas
- Kengo Kuma
- Behanzin
- Justin Aho
- Marcus Bunyan
- Michelle Yaa Asantewa
- Brook Andrew
- Jessica Neath
- W.D. Ashcroft
- Gareth Griffiths
- Helen Tiffin
- Ama Biney
- Delcassé
- Terrillon
- Dodds
Institutions
- Musée départemental Albert-Kahn
- Archives de la Planète
- musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
- UNESCO
- Service historique de la Défense (SHD)
- Institut d'ethnologie de Paris
- Art Blart
- Pambazuka News
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Benin
- Dahomey
- Ouidah
- Sakété
- Adjarra
- Abomey
- Cotonou
- Porto Novo
- Martinique
- Calabar
- Nigeria
- Boulogne-Billancourt
- Hauts-de-Seine
- Zou
- Sudan
- Niger
- Germany
- United Kingdom