Unmasking 3

Unmasking 3 is a project by Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé, and part of the ongoing Unmasking series (1999) which Bamgboyé has developed with cultural scholars, computer programmers and scientists. The series focuses on the use of and access to cultural artefacts which are buried in museums thousands of miles from their source of origin.

With cutting edge 3D technology, these artefacts are scanned and provided with multiple digital contexts and interpretative suggestions. Subsequently, they are made available to users who can view, alter, and, ultimately, repossess these objects. With this project, Bamgboyé aims at showing technology’s capacity to break down existing borders and revitalize objects. Point of departure in Unmasking 3 is an early 16th Century Bronze sculpture of a Queen Mother Head from the city of Benin in Nigeria, which resides in the collections of the Liverpool Museum. In the project, the artefact is at the center of an extensive database which addresses issues of authenticity, commodification and ownership in the cultural market.

More extensive information about this project can be found in the publication Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé: Writings on Technology and Culture, published by Witte de With in 2000. In addition, the website www.bamgboye.f9.co.uk provides access to Unmasking.

Unmasking 3 is a collaborative project with the Foundation for Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool and V2_, Rotterdam.