Papers by Elias Aguigah
Review of African Political Economy, Apr 2, 2023
Scientific publications by Elias Aguigah
History Workshop Journal, Sep 6, 2023
In March 2022, almost two years after having shut its doors because of the Covid pandemic, the Gr... more In March 2022, almost two years after having shut its doors because of the Covid pandemic, the Grassi Museum für Völkerkunde in Leipzig reopened its revamped exhibition space to the public. Grappling with, but at the same time eager to confront its colonial history, the museum proposed contrasting spaces curated by different stakeholders. When an artistic collective brought a jackhammer and started destroying a plinth that had displayed the bust of the museum’s former director in order to recycle the granite splinters into replicas of the peak of Kilimanjaro, the museum fell under the spotlight of the media and the museum world.1 This tantalizing controversy largely overshadowed the rest of the exhibits, including a so-called ‘prep-room’ that showcases ongoing curatorial processes. In this ‘prep room’ sat a personal item from today’s Ghana: a headdress from the Kingdom of Dagbon. Though ignored in media coverage of the Grassi’s reopening, this quilted red, ochre and brown linen headgear deserves scrutiny.
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Papers by Elias Aguigah
Scientific publications by Elias Aguigah