West African art explosion
on a South Korean island
So, last night, I was eating a bowl of bibimbap and watching some antics on Korean TV when my Lady Friend mentioned something about an African museum on Jeju Island.
I thought she'd just found something in one of our tour guides, but then I noticed the large poster on a wall near the television.
As if it wasn't enough to find out that there was an African art museum on the island, the building in the photo was a replica of the Djenne Grand Mosque in Mali. If you know me, you know there was nothing else to think about: I was going to go.
Djenne Grand Mosque near Mopti, Mali
Museum of African Art, Jeju-do, South Korea
I was even more intrigued to learn that the museum was a few minutes away from our hotel. So the next day, after we visited a folk village on the other side of the island, we rolled up to the museum.
Aside from the oddity of a Christian cross embedded at the top of the building, and a number of not-quite-authentic, obviously Indonesian or Mexican products for sale in the gift shop, this place was a pleasure to visit. This was in no small part because of the fact that the museum is located on a small (but regionally popular) island between China, Korea and Japan, a region in which I've lived for about a year... and from which I will depart in a few months, most likely bound for Africa.
Anyhow, another impressive aspect was that the museum's three floors were full of artifacts: masks, clothing, statues, jewelry and other metalwork, large-scale photos, murals and other handicrafts. The fourth floor, the basement, was a performance venue. So after walking around, being tripped out by all that there was to see, our visit ended with us being hit between the ears by a quartet of Senegalese drummers. More photos to follow in time.
1111px version...and a little bit more
about chi'wara figures and the Dogon tribe
Lady Friend asked an important question: how would people feel to see their mosque turned into a cultural attraction in East Asia? Does the purpose of the venue lessen the architectural, cultural or religious appropriation?
I thought she'd just found something in one of our tour guides, but then I noticed the large poster on a wall near the television.
As if it wasn't enough to find out that there was an African art museum on the island, the building in the photo was a replica of the Djenne Grand Mosque in Mali. If you know me, you know there was nothing else to think about: I was going to go.
Djenne Grand Mosque near Mopti, Mali
Museum of African Art, Jeju-do, South Korea
I was even more intrigued to learn that the museum was a few minutes away from our hotel. So the next day, after we visited a folk village on the other side of the island, we rolled up to the museum.
Aside from the oddity of a Christian cross embedded at the top of the building, and a number of not-quite-authentic, obviously Indonesian or Mexican products for sale in the gift shop, this place was a pleasure to visit. This was in no small part because of the fact that the museum is located on a small (but regionally popular) island between China, Korea and Japan, a region in which I've lived for about a year... and from which I will depart in a few months, most likely bound for Africa.
Anyhow, another impressive aspect was that the museum's three floors were full of artifacts: masks, clothing, statues, jewelry and other metalwork, large-scale photos, murals and other handicrafts. The fourth floor, the basement, was a performance venue. So after walking around, being tripped out by all that there was to see, our visit ended with us being hit between the ears by a quartet of Senegalese drummers. More photos to follow in time.
1111px version...and a little bit more
about chi'wara figures and the Dogon tribe
Lady Friend asked an important question: how would people feel to see their mosque turned into a cultural attraction in East Asia? Does the purpose of the venue lessen the architectural, cultural or religious appropriation?
West African art explosion
on a South Korean island
mr damon, 01:21
1 Comments:
Ah these are the unexpected gems that make travel so enriching. As for the question posed on the juxtaposition of the mosque as souvenir shop...might they not already take some exception at the existense of a replica (period)? I'd hope that most could accept it in the context of educational expansion.
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