Provenance questions affect public value of Benin Bronzes
Prices for the Benin Bronzes, the incredible works of art looted from modern-day Nigeria at the end of the 19th Century, have been rising since the early 2010s. But the groundswell of campaigns and recognition that the stolen art should be returned to their country of origin have deterred buyers from trying to acquire the artefacts at public auction.
Adenike Cosgrove is the Founder of ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA, an art brokerage that aims ‘to give collectors unprecedented access to objects, research, cultures and people that matter in African art.’ She told Focus on Africa’s Audrey Brown that while attitudes towards ownership of Benin Bronzes artefacts have been changing, private deals between collectors are still happening.
Dealers Say They’re Struggling to Sell Looted Artefacts From Africa These Days
Global attitudes towards objects looted during the colonial period are changing.
Has the restitution debate undermined the market for African art?
Ownership concerns are bound to have an impact, but a more holistic narrative of the continent’s art history is in sight.
A question of ethics – the market for African and Oceanic art
Fearing a steep decline in the numbers of new collectors and scholars, an increasing taboo on public sales and fewer museum donations, this year’s State of the African Art Market report, published by the independent website ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA suggests: ‘It is critical that the market clarifies the ethics of collecting classic art if it is to maintain and grow the collector base.’
African art: Pigozzi, Zinsou, Hiridjee… In the small world of great collectors
Who are these great fortunes of the continent and elsewhere who are passionate about African art? What do they acquire and at what price? Which works do they prefer? Who are these insatiable collectors? How much does this passion cost them? In a survey conducted between December 2021 and January 2022 of more than 200 collectors, the London-based platform ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA, responsible for connecting collectors of African art with dealers and researchers, lifted part of the veil. In Voice of the Collector, the organization delivers figures and trends with rare precision in this environment.
Adenike Cosgrove – an interview with the woman behind ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA
One of the rising stars of the online African art community is Adenike Cosgrove, whose website ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA has quickly become one of the most inspiring online resources for a frequent fix of interesting African art-related stories and content. As Cosgrove has been featuring more and more interviews on her site, while herself discretely staying out of the limelight, I thought it would be interesting to change the roles for once and interview the interviewer.
Connecting African art collectors with dealers and scholars, based on a foundation of knowledge about the origin, use & distinguishing features of listed pieces
© Copyright 2023 IMO DARA Ltd
Registered address: 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU.
Company number: 14584976. Registered in England & Wales.