The Africa that was

The Africa that was – African religious artifacts

I was allowed to spent a night in a museum filled up to the roof with religious artifacts from Africa. And… it was another remarkable night in my life.

All these masks, totems, paintings, amulets, and many more are taken far away from the people who believed in them, are numbered, classified and are stored in an ethnological museum. Worse, the people who once believed in them believe now in other things. Bibles, Korans, USD and BMW’s.

The worst trick done to Africans, was made them believe that they are decolonized. A people, whose religious and ethical system is robbed and replaced by something foreign will never be truly independent. If one wonders why Africa is there where it is, the loss of genuine African religion and ethics is definitely one of the reasons, if not THE reason.

If there was a message which all these loaded artifacts were communicating to me, then it was definitely the feeling of an intense sadness. I’m not sure who I pity more, Gods who ended up in a museum, or the people who let their Gods be stored away in a museum.

Africa. I feel you.

Shot at Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France

Click here to see the gallery FULLSCREEN


The Africa that was 2647
The Africa that was 2670
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