African re-storations in and beyond the museum
Within the museum, restoration often refers to the processes of repairing, conserving, preserving, and reconstructing artworks and artifacts to preserve their original state. This session goes beyond this physical and aesthetic engagement of material culture by considering a community-centered approach to re-storation that entails healing, revitalization, and participation. In this context, the re-storation nexus of African heritage and culture engages a variety of actors, knowledge production systems, and exchange processes that prompt reflections about inclusive, equitable, and critical practices and conceptualizations that re-store African heritage via museums.
Format: 2 panels (virtual)
Duration: 1.5 hours/each
Date: Friday, September 27th, 2024
Sponsors: Princeton University Art Museum, Center for Digital Humanities, Africa World Initiative
Panel 1: Re-storation and the Digital Humanities
Our first panel explores approaches and projects from the digital humanities that enhance community-centered knowledge production systems within European cultural institutions and seek to reconstruct, restore, rectify, and promote African identity, memory, and worldviews.
Tso Scream Mask, 2022
Courtesy the artist and Axis Gallery, NY & NJ
Twin masks both titled Douala-Bamiléké Nyatti-Ku’ngang Mask, at the closing ceremony of the funeral celebrations for the late father of His Majesty Gabriel Ndjiemeni, current King of Fondanti, February 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Axis Gallery, NY & NJ
Visages de masques, 2016–23
Courtesy the artist and Axis Gallery, NY & NJ
Introduced by Perrin Lathrop, assistant curator of African art, Princeton University Art Museum
Participants: Chao Tayianna, co-founder of Open Restitution and founder at African Digital Heritage; Felicity Bodenstein Directors of Digital Benin; Anthony Kalume-Dip, Associate Curator, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft (Moderator : Annissa Tavangar – Princeton University).
Panel 2: Re-storation and Community
The second panel considers the impact of community contributions and collaboration on the development of inclusive and ethical museum practices and as a cornerstone to artistic production.
Introduced by Tiako Djomatchoua Murielle Sandra, PhD candidate, Department of French & Italian, Princeton University
Participants : Hugues Tchana Heumen, director, National Museum of Cameroon; Keita Daouda, director, National Museum of Mali; Herve Youmbi, international artist (Moderated in French by Rodrigue Nzelokuli, University of Kinshasa).
SPONSORS
The Africa World Initiative at Princeton University Africais a transdisciplinary space in Princeton established to harness and optimize University initiatives focused on Africa, and ensure a multiway exchange with stakeholders on the African continent.
The Center for Digital Humanities (CDH) at Princeton is where the rich traditions of the humanities meet the evolving landscape of emerging technologies.
The Princeton University Art Museum educates, challenges, and inspires the students of Princeton University and members of a diverse local, national, and international public through exposure to the world of art.
