Celebrating the past while anchoring it in the contemporary present, the Togo of the Kings allowed visitors to discover the history of Togo in its unity and variety, highlighting its regional anchorage in West Africa.
Spread over 400 m2, this exhibition plunged visitors into a lively journey. Both playful and documented, it plays on the dramatization of the kingdoms and civilizations that marked the history of the country until its independence in 1960.
Most of these artefacts have never before left their original territory. Their current owners gave special permission for artefacts to be displayed in public in the interest of sharing national heritage with as many people as possible. The content of the exhibition has been enriched by works from contemporary visual artists, photographers and filmmakers, such as Sokey Edorh, Kodjo Wornanu and Louis Vincent.
The exhibition was a unique opportunity to share with the public of the Palais de Lomé a little documented heritage, with the challenge of “celebrating at the same time imaginary past, a strong anchoring in the present, and a projection into the future of a nation in the making” (Kangni Alem, writer, co-curator of the exhibition Togo of the Kings.)
Artists : Jean-Dominique Burton, Sokey Edorh, George Osidi, Louis Vincent, Kodjo Efoui Wornanu
Curators: Kangni Alem, Gaëtan Noussouglo
Scenography: Franck Houndegla, Sophie Schenck, assisted by Péroline Gonçalves, Arsène Younang
Do not miss the exhibition catalogue, available in the Palais de Lomé’s bookstore!
