Art and Religion Room From Museum of Contemporary African Art
- Artist: Meschac Gaba
- Date: 1997–2002
- Medium: Mixed media
- Dimensions: Overall display dimensions variable
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “Art and Religion Room” by Meschac Gaba. Part of his 1997–2002 Museum of Contemporary African Art, the room is a cross‑shaped wooden framework with shelves that hold more than 75 objects. You’ll see Buddhist symbols, Christian icons, Islamic calligraphy, Jewish amulets, Hindu figurines, Vodún figures and other African spiritual items all side by side. The space also contains a simple table and chairs that were used for tarot card readings during its first show. Gaba describes the work as a conceptual museum, a question rather than a finished institution, designed to spark discussion about how Western museums have traditionally collected and displayed African art. In contemporary Benin, where he grew up, people often blend Catholicism with Vodún, so seeing angels, Jesus, and Mami Wata together feels natural. The installation invites you to touch, look, and think about the intersections of belief, art and identity.
See it in person
Art and Religion Room From Museum of Contemporary African Art is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
