A self-guided tour of the exhibition for children and their families

Section 1 : “Context and Initiator”

Wɛ mɛ kplɔ o ! (You have arrived, welcome!)

I am Daho, the lion cub. I come from Africa. I live in Dahomey, a country now known as Benin. Don’t be fooled by my appearance: I may look cute, but I’ll strike terror once my teeth have grown!

In 1892, my country became a French colony. It still bears traces of this occupation, such as French being the official language, but regional languages like Fon are still spoken. At the dawn of the 20^th century, a French priest, Francis Aupiais, took an interest in our culture.

Albert Kahn supported his project and offered him the help of photographer and cameraman Frédéric Gadmer.

Come find me a little further ahead, I’ll introduce them to you.

Section 2 : “The Aupiais-Gadmer Mission of 1930”

Who goes there?

In 1930, two Frenchmen travelled through my kingdom. One wore a cross around his neck, the other carried strange equipment. Let’s meet them, and then follow their journey on the map.

Protagoniste 1 :

Francis Aupiais was a missionary priest in Dahomey for 23 years. His mission was to carry out educational and religious activities among the people. Thanks to the films and photographs he commissioned in 1930, our culture is better understood. He is still highly regarded in Benin today!

Protagoniste 2 :

Frédéric Gadmer was a professional photographer and filmmaker. He worked for the French army before joining Albert Kahn’s visual documentation crew. In his service, he used both a film recorder and a stills camera. His mission was to record life around the world through images.

Section 3 : “A Portrait of Dahomey

But… what is it?

Thanks to his films and photographs, Frédéric Gadmer documented important aspects of life in Dahomey. Discover which ones and find images illustrating them around you.

Definition 1 :

Vodun:
Vodun (in the Fon language) is central to our culture. It is present in every aspect of our daily life. Its rituals blend songs, dances, and the use of sacred objects to ensure peace with the world of ancestors and nature.

Definition 2 :

Colonisation :
We were colonised. France came and took control of our country. It imposed its laws, language, and culture, even though we never asked for any of it! Not very nice, is it? As in many colonies, the aim was to exploit our natural resources, such as palm oil.

Definition 3 :

Evangelism :
In the colonies, missionary priests like Father Aupiais were tasked with converting the local population to Christianity. This is called evangelism. It involves introducing the Bible and convincing as many people as possible to believe in it.