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Decolonising knowledge/Benin Dues at the Ethnographic Museum University of Zurich

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Exhibition “Benin Dues" at the Ethnographic Museum University of Zurich

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In 1897, British forces launched an attack on the Kingdom of Benin, located in what is now Nigeria. During the invasion, the king was deposed, the capital city was set ablaze, and thousands of royal artefacts were looted from the palace. These objects, later known as the "Benin Bronzes", were sold on the European art market.

The Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich (UZH) contains 18 objects from the Kingdom of Benin, 14 of which were very likely looted, according to research conducted by the Swiss Benin Initiative (BIS).

The exhibition addresses the following questions:

  • Why are objects from the Kingdom of Benin held in the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich?
  • What do they mean to different stakeholder groups?
  • And how should institutions deal with them?

The exhibition draws on research from the Swiss Benin Initiative (BIS) and has been developed with Nigerian experts from Benin City and diaspora groups in Zurich. Through collaborative storytelling, recreated artifacts, and open dialogue, the exhibition sheds light on the complex provenance of the so-called Benin Bronzes and contributes to ongoing debates about restitution, responsibility, and the future of ethnographic collections.

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