The posts on this page document Maison Gbegbe: Exchanges and Entanglements, an artistic research project at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK). The project began on December 8, 2021, with funding from the UdK Commission for Artistic and Academic Projects (KKWV) and the Goethe-Institut’s Visual Arts Project Fund.
The idea for Maison Gbegbe emerged through close collaboration with L’Union des Cultes Traditionnels du Togo (UCTT), an organization of traditional knowledge keepers, and conversations with researchers and contemporary artists in Togo and Benin. Conceived as a cultural center in the Aného region of Togo, Maison Gbegbe aims to preserve and facilitate the exchange of knowledge about traditional Ewe culture while providing a platform for research and dialogue on restitution.
In 2021, the project established a preconfiguration council to bring together people from diverse geographical, social, and cultural backgrounds. Their perspectives reflect the complex debates surrounding Maison Gbegbe and the entangled (pre)colonial histories of the Aného region. The council’s mission is to guide the center’s architectural development, programming, and future governance.
As part of this process, we organized community mobilization workshops, discussions, and divination sessions in the region. An open call also invited experts, academics, artists, activists, and traditional knowledge keepers from Germany and Togo to contribute their perspectives and join the conversation.