As announced by the government, the doors of the Presidency of the Republic will once again be open to the public as part of the exhibition “Art du Bénin d’hier et d’aujourd’hui: De la restitution à la révélation”. For this second phase, bookings began on Wednesday 13 July 2002. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts, Jean-Michel Abimbola, gave details of the new format of this exhibition this weekend.
From 16 July to 28 August, the Marina Palace will once again welcome many people. The 26 royal treasures returned to Benin by France will be on public display. A decision by the government to allow citizens who were not present at the first exhibition to commune with their history. But the colours of the second season of the diptych exhibition “Benin Art of yesterday and today: From restitution to revelation” are announced in a new format. The details were given on Sunday 10 July 2022 by the Minister of Culture Jean-Michel Abimbola during a virtual conference with the Beninese diaspora.
The new days and hours chosen by the government
According to the Minister of Culture, the visit will take place on Thursday and Friday from 3 pm to 6.30 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6.30 pm, with art workshops for children aged 4 to 12 years, every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Full exhibition as in the first season, according to Jean-Michel Abimbola
The reopening of the diptych exhibition will include all the works discovered in Season 1, which ended on 22 May. These are the 26 Royal Treasures of Benin, returned by France, and 106 works of contemporary art by 34 national Beninese artists and artists from the diaspora. “All you have to do is indicate your intention to visit the works of art at the Marina Palace by registering online on the booking platform: www.expoartbenin.bj“, said the Minister of Culture.
The reopening of the Art of Benin Yesterday and Today Exhibition is a promise to the diaspora to help them discover the 26 works and contemporary artistic genius. It should be noted that this time, the contemporary section will be put on tour by the Foundation of the Museums of Morocco.