daniel chigunwe
Trust Khosa
RAPHAEL Chikukwa, the executive director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ), described the recently held “African Museums Today and Tomorrow” symposium at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as an eye-opener.
The esteemed curator was one of the speakers at the conference, which marked a significant milestone in the field of African museology.
At the symposium, Chikukwa exchanged notes with some of the top curators, researchers, and museum directors in Africa.
Other panellists included Tayla Hollamby, curator for the Norval Foundation Art Gallery in South Africa; Barthélemy Toguo, visual artist and founder of Bandjoun Station in Cameroon; and Olivia Anani, the Secretary of Fine Arts in Benin.
The session, during which Chikukwa made a presentation, was moderated by Awam Ampaka, Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Drama, Social, and Cultural Analysis at NYU – Abu Dhabi.
In an interview with The Herald Arts, Chikukwa said the symposium was indeed enlightening.
“The symposium entitled ‘African Museums Today and Tomorrow’ kick-started on January 28 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“The panel was very powerful and included Henry Bundhoko Banyata, Research Director and Chief Curator of the National Museum in Kinshasa, Congo; Nigussa Abay of Ethiopia; Bongani Ndhlovu of Iziko Museums, South Africa; Malik Ndiaye of Ifan Museum, Senegal; and Kojo Yankah, founder of the Pan African Heritage Museum of Ghana.
“Moderated by Valerie Sandoz, the panel went straight into the topic of the day: Changing Narratives. What became clear from this panel was the need to change the narrative that has remained in the hands of those who wish to be our teachers,” he said.
Chikukwa noted that changing narratives through exhibitions, publications, and public programming was key for community involvement.
“The second panel focused on involving youth and included Gabidan Abdouramane of Niger, Charlene Houston of the Desmond Tutu Museum, Purity Kiura of the National Museum of Kenya, and Samuel Sidibe from Bamako.
“What emerged clearly was the panel’s agreement that Africa has the largest youth population and the need to empower them on ‘Why Museums Matter.’ An important starting point was that, although there were many speakers, there was no youth voice.”
He pointed out that one of the powerful topics was presented by Lanisa Kitchiner, who challenged institutions — including NGZ — to reflect on youth involvement through public engagement.
“On the third day, the topic was, ‘How Museums Impact Surrounding Communities?’ The panel included Nelson Abebon, director of the National Museum of Uganda; Perrice Nkombwe of Moto Moto Museum of Zambia; Mark Olaitan of Benin; and Barbara Plankensteiner of Hamburg.
“This was yet another powerful topic, and the speakers shared their own experiences. But the main question was: how relevant are African museums to their communities and to outsiders?
“We all agreed that continuous engagement with audiences should not be treated like an event; it should be an ongoing process. Museums without communities are dead museums. Awa Konate, the moderator, did well in asking very provocative questions on the topic, and the issue of local languages was highlighted as an important tool for being relevant to local communities.”
The other panel discussions deliberated on the power of research, the need for more collaborations, and how global issues can link institutions.
Chikukwa, who was among the last panellists, added, “I was in the final panel that included Olivia Anani of Benin, Tayla Hollamby, curator at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, and Barthélemy Toguo, an artist from Cameroon.
“Our panel was moderated by Awam Konate. The topic was ‘Contemporary Art in Museums,’ and for us at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, we are a museum of both modern and contemporary art.
“We noted that we can’t continue to be recipients of knowledge about ourselves from others through their own point of view.
“They call themselves experts on African art and culture, and it’s time to return the gaze. We had the opportunity to visit the Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival in the city.”
Online Reporter