In November 2025, director-director Beatrice von Bormann and curator Aude Christel Mgba travelled to Nigeria in preparation for Back to Benin - New Art, Ancient Heritage. They recorded this trip full of extraordinary encounters in a travelogue.
6 November
Today Beatrice and Aude visited the studio of Victor Ehikhamenor, one of the artists who is part of Back to Benin. They met him for the second time in his studio. He has created an impressive new series of works, including some blue collages with mirrors. All the material has been reused. He also shows a series of Benin bronzes surrounded by chalk, the material bronze casters have been working with for centuries.
He shows the works for the exhibition: large white sheets of paper on which drawings were created by perforation, inspired by images on the looted Benin bronze plaques. Their transparency seems to contradict the heaviness of the original objects, but at the same time it makes it clear that what matters is the stories told with the bronzes and their spiritual connotations. It makes for great conversations.
Victor is constantly developing his artistic practice. Besides exhibitions in the US, Europe and Nigeria, through his organisation Angels & Muse, he ensures that the next generation of artists have a chance to create and show work. Next week, his new sculpture park opens in Benin City.
In the afternoon, Beatrice and Aude visit the collector's preview of Art X, Lagos' annual art fair. "We feast our eyes on the art fair, attracted by extraordinary works of art and constantly engaging in conversation with other visitors. It was the combination of the dialogues with the art, the people and the beauty of it all that made it an unforgettable experience."
7 November
Beatrice and Aude are visiting the studio of Nigerian illustrator and designer Osaze Amadasun. "After a long drive through the metropolis of Lagos, ocean to the right, houses to the left, we arrived in his neighbourhood. We were kindly greeted by Osaze's mother. "
He shows the works that will be in the exhibition. Beautiful works that overtly refer to the sculptural tradition of Benin bronzes. Despite his father being from Benin, Osaze had to make the sculpture tradition and heritage his own. Then to the Ikoyi district, a fancy neighbourhood with big houses.
Here is Kó art space, one of the oldest galleries in Lagos, dedicated to promoting modern and contemporary art. Nice exhibition on the Osogbo art school, an art movement that emerged in the 1960s through the workshops of Ulli Beier, Susanna Wenger and Georgina Beier, among others. Fine works hang on the walls of the gallery, including by Nike Davies-Okundaye, Twins Seven-Seven and Jacob Afolabi.
In the evening, an appointment is scheduled with Taiye Idahor, several of whose artworks will be featured in the exhibition. "She talks about her residency in London, and we discuss climate change and the politics associated with it, as well as, of course, the exhibition."
10 November
On 10 November 2025, in Benin City, Nigeria, a representative of the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM) Dr Babatunde Adebiyi, head of legal affairs and director-director of Museum de Fundatie Beatrice von Bormann signed a document transferring ownership of a Benin bronze from the Fundatie Collection, a plaque depicting a Mudfish, to the royal family of Benin.
It was a special and moving moment, the realisation that this work, which was most probably stolen violently by the British from the then Kingdom of Benin in 1897, is now returning to what is now Benin City in Nigeria. The document is signed at the National Museum of Benin, surrounded by restored Benin bronzes brought together in an exhibition here. Two chiefs emissaries from the royal palace are also present.
In addition to Beatrice and Aude, Professor Kokunre Agbontaen-Eghafona and Godfrey Ekhator-Obogie, both from the University of Benin, are also present. Dr Adebiyi gave a fine speech in which he thanked Museum de Fundatie at length. Beatrice gave a short speech in which she thanked NCMM and the chiefs for coming and expressed how important it is that this object returns where it belongs, having been part of our collection and displayed in all kinds of contexts since 1937.
A long history
This moment has a long history. Even before Beatrice von Bormann became director-director of Museum de Fundatie, research into the bronze plaque from Benin in the collection was carried out by head of collections Kristian Garssen. From January 2023, new attention came to the provenance research on pieces in the collection from colonial times.
So the provenance research continued, also with the help of external experts, in light of a possible restitution. At the same time, it was decided to take this as the occasion for an exhibition that not only looks at the history of this plaque and provenance research, but also celebrates Benin's ancient and still vibrant heritage by inviting 10 contemporary makers to create new work inspired by the plaque with the mudfish.
Now we have come full circle - the bronze plaque has been returned, the exhibition is in full preparation and the research in co-creation with scholars and makers of Edo background has given us the opportunity to tell this story in a unique way for an audience in the Netherlands and far beyond.
