MOWAA opens 11 November 2025

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) will officially open its Campus in Benin City, Nigeria, to the public on Tuesday, 11 November 2025. The launch will see the unveiling of the MOWAA Institute — a 4,500-square-metre state-of-the-art facility for collections storage, conservation, research and archaeology — alongside our inaugural exhibition, Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming, an expanded presentation of the Nigeria Pavilion from the Venice Arts Biennale 2024, organised by MOWAA. The opening will also feature MOWAA’s first historic collections display, including works that have never been shown in Nigeria, offering a glimpse into our growing collections and evolving conservation practice. Expect a dynamic programme of exhibition tours, talks, workshops and film screenings activating the MOWAA Campus and downtown Benin City.

Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming

Nigeria Imaginary, first presented at the 60th International Venice Arts Biennale as the second-ever Nigeria Pavilion, returns in an expanded form at MOWAA in Benin City. Curated by Aindrea Emelife, the exhibition invites artists to unsettle inherited narratives — to imagine Nigeria not as a single story, but as a constellation of histories, desires, ruptures, and dreams. Enriched by the inclusion of four new artists, Kelani Abass, Modupeola Fadugba, Ngozi-Omeje Ezema and Isaac Emokpae, whose practices are deeply embedded in the country’s contemporary realities, this landmark exhibition will take place across multiple spaces on the MOWAA Campus, and open up critical dialogue and reflections on the state and possibilities of the nation. From 11 November, join us for immersive tours and panel discussions that will offer deeper engagement with the exhibition’s themes.

The Venice presentation of Nigeria Imaginary featured works by Tunji Adeniyi-jones, Ndidi Dike, Onyeka Igwe, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Abraham Onoriode Oghobase, Precious Okoyomon, Fatimah Tuggar and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA.

Our Campus

The forthcoming Rainforest Gallery will sit within MOWAA’s replanted gardens. ©Worofila

Rainforest Gardens

Our public gardens with over 2,000 indigenous trees reclaims botanical knowledge erased by colonial forestry. Activated by site-specific art and guided walks, MOWAA's public gardens will invite visitors to explore the connection between art, nature and community.

The second phase of our Campus development will include three primary buildings: the boutique hotel, Rainforest Gallery and the performance centre.

MOWAA Institute

Opening its doors this November, the MOWAA Institute is a dynamic hub for research, conservation, and heritage management supporting institutions and practitioners across the continent. At its core, its purpose-built arts storage, and archives and conservation labs are the engine room for knowledge production and creative collaboration, fuelling the Campus' research, education, and public engagement programmes. The MOWAA Institute also includes a 100-seat auditorium, seminar rooms, an exhibition gallery and laboratories for archaeology, conservation and material science. The building was designed by Adjaye Associates with Lagos-based architectural firm MOE+ as the architect of record.

MOWAA Campus

Located in the heart of Benin City, Nigeria, the MOWAA Campus comprises of multiple buildings and public spaces for research, art practice, education, display and performance. Designed as an ecosystem to nurture, inspire and showcase contemporary creatives, scholars, and cultural practitioners, our Campus serves to build connections between tradition and current art and artisanal practices.

Artists’ Studios & Café

The multi-use space featuring four artist studios, an exhibition space, and a café, will open in late 2025. Once a stark symbol of colonialism, the building is now being reimagined as a space for knowledge exchange and skills development, designed by Lagos-based firm MOE+. The Studios will serve as a hub for creative collaboration, forging connections between local and global artists.

Rainforest Gardens

Our public gardens with over 2,000 indigenous trees reclaims botanical knowledge erased by colonial forestry. Activated by site-specific art and guided walks, MOWAA's public gardens will invite visitors to explore the connection between art, nature and community.

The second phase of our Campus development will include three primary buildings: the boutique hotel, Rainforest Gallery and the performance centre.

MOWAA Institute

Opening its doors this November, the MOWAA Institute is a dynamic hub for research, conservation, and heritage management supporting institutions and practitioners across the continent. At its core, its purpose-built arts storage, and archives and conservation labs are the engine room for knowledge production and creative collaboration, fuelling the Campus' research, education, and public engagement programmes. The MOWAA Institute also includes a 100-seat auditorium, seminar rooms, an exhibition gallery and laboratories for archaeology, conservation and material science. The building was designed by Adjaye Associates with Lagos-based architectural firm MOE+ as the architect of record.