Theo Eshetu's Video Installation Explores Ethiopia's National Mythology Through Axum Obelisk Repatriation

Theo Eshetu's multiscreen video work 'The Return of the Axum Obelisk' (2009) examines Ethiopian national identity through the lens of cultural heritage repatriation. Commissioned by UNESCO to document the obelisk's return, Eshetu creates a non-documentary piece that weaves together mythological, religious, and political narratives. The 1,700-year-old Obelisk of Axum was taken by Italy as war booty in 1937 after the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, then repatriated in 2005 and reinstalled in 2008. Eshetu's personal connection to the monument stems from his Ethiopian heritage and childhood in Rome, where his father worked near the obelisk's former location at Porta Capena square. The work references Ethiopian cultural theorist Epp Annus's concept of national mythology as a 'Past Perfect' necessary for imagining future possibilities. It visually echoes traditional Ethiopian icon painting while addressing colonial conflicts, national pride, and reconciliation between Italians and Ethiopians. The installation questions how public monuments function as vessels for collective memory and national identity. Eshetu's work will be exhibited at Tiwani Contemporary in London from September 25 to October 31, 2015. This analysis appears in the 'Art in Context Africa' series exploring contemporary African art's local contexts.