Dahomey

Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH, London

August 26, 2026 – August 26, 2026

As part of a film programme exploring themes connected to the exhibition 'She Flickered In and Out of History', scholar Genevieve Yue presents 'Dahomey' (2024), Mati Diop's acclaimed film tracing the repatriation of 26 looted treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey from France to present-day Benin. The film features a voice ascribed to a statue of King Ghézo, stolen by the French during their colonial plunder. Although it is a documentary, the king narrates his memory of abduction and his journey to a homeland that has been irrevocably reshaped. This narrative raises the possibility of awareness and continuity beyond the lifetimes of those involved in its dispossession, giving it a disruptive power that challenges historical narratives.