Beschreibung
The essays collected in this volume bring together in-depth case studies
of the art production in the Republic of Benin – from the Kingdom
of Dahomey to the era of the postcolonial state. Historical, modern and
contemporary artworks are put in relation to Benin’s vernacular Vodun
aesthetics, and the book’s guiding question is how art patronage
has shaped the historical development of artistic practices, genres and
themes. The contributions discuss art production under royal and governmental
patronage – as in the Kingdom of Dahomey (17th – 19th century),
in times of early post-independence (1960 – 1974), in Benin’s socialist
era (1974 – 1990), and during the state-organized Vodun-Festivals
in the context of the country’s re-democratization (early 1990s). In addition,
they reflect on more recent artists‘ initiatives (mid-1990s) as well
as on the impact of new transnational institutions and networks (biennials,
independent art spaces) in the era of neoliberalism (since 2000).
Two artist interviews illuminate the dynamics from different internal
perspectives and round off the picture.
Verena Rodatus is curator in charge of the African collections (West and Southern Africa) at the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin.