Benin's Festival of Masks and Museum Reimagining: A New Vision of Heritage
Benin is taking a new approach to its cultural heritage with the Festival of Masks, which includes investments in museums and the return of stolen royal treasures. This event, happening in Porto-Novo, highlights various masquerade traditions like Zangbéto, Egungun, and Gèlèdè, with participants from Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and China. Suzanne Céleste Delaunay Belleville from the Committee of Vodun Rites sees the festival as a way to reclaim their narrative. Professor Mahougnon Kakpo emphasizes that Vodun masquerades symbolize spiritual beings, not just costumes. Alongside the festival, an international symposium featured culture and history experts. Benin aims to merge museum collections with living cultural practices, fostering a dialogue about heritage and its commercialization while protecting sacred traditions.
Key facts
- Benin's Festival of Masks took place in Porto-Novo, featuring Zangbéto, Egungun, Gèlèdè, and other masquerade traditions.
- Delegations from Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and China participated in the festival.
- Suzanne Céleste Delaunay Belleville is a member of Benin’s Committee of Vodun Rites and the prefiguration committee for the future International Vodun Museum.
- Professor Mahougnon Kakpo, President of Benin’s Committee of Vodun Rites, questioned the use of the word 'masque' in describing Vodun traditions.
- Benin received 26 royal treasures from France in 2021 as part of restitution efforts.
- The festival included an international scientific symposium on masquerade traditions.
- Benin is developing the International Vodun Museum and the Museum of the Epic of the Amazons and Kings of Danxomè.
- The festival is part of a broader strategy to reconnect museum collections with Indigenous knowledge systems.
Entities
Artists
- Suzanne Céleste Delaunay Belleville
- Mahougnon Kakpo
Institutions
- Committee of Vodun Rites
- International Vodun Museum
- Museum of the Epic of the Amazons and Kings of Danxomè
Locations
- Benin
- Porto-Novo
- Togo
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Nigeria
- China
- France