MUSEUM News 71 Altar mask. Nalu, northern Baga. Guinea. Hardwood, oozing patina, brass tacks. L: 75 cm. Ex Charles Ratton (before 1939); S. Dubiner; P. Dartevelle. Inv. #1001-37. © Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva. Mask, dimba. Nalu, northern Baga, Guinea. Hardwood, brass tacks. H: 133 cm. © Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva. Drum with figural supports. Baga, Guinea. Hardwood, leather, pigment. H: 172 cm. Acquired by Josef Mueller from Olivier Le Corneur in 1955. © Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva. Female figure. Baga, Guinea. 19th century. Wood. H: 66 cm. Ex Maurice de Vlaminck; acquired by Josef Mueller in the 1930s. Inv. #1001-3. © Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva. BAGA RELIGION Geneva—Although Baga artistic productions sparked the Western imagination early on, the history and beliefs of this remarkable people remain almost completely unknown even to many African specialists. The Musée Barbier Mueller in Geneva will be lifting a corner of the veil with its presentation of Mémoires Religieuses, Baga (Religious Memories, Baga) from October 17, 2013, through March 30, 2014, and will shed light on the cultural practices of a people divided between tradition and modernity. The Baga inhabit the Guinea coast, a swampy and difficult area where they were able to preserve their unique traditions until the middle of the twentieth century in a region that had otherwise largely been won over by Christianity and Islam. Baga art served to support cults and a variety of community practices: initiation ceremonies in sacred forests, rituals involving family spirits, masquerades, and defensive rites against sorcery. A selection of old and rare objects from the museum’s holdings illustrate the many circumstances in which they were used. While the Baga dimba shoulder masks as well as the impressive serpent crests are nowadays among the icons of African art, the exhibition reveals many other types of Baga objects, as well as objects from associated groups like the Nalu, Landuman, and Susu. These include helmet and face masks, altar masks, crests, drums, and statues, all testimonies to artistic traditions that became extinct in the 1950s. Nonetheless—and this is an important point the exhibition makes—Baga culture has not disappeared. While they are not as overtly evident as they used to be, the ancient beliefs remain strong and deeply rooted. Women’s groups play an important and dynamic role in ritual life, which is further nourished by the enthusiasm of young people and the interest of an educated elite that has become conscious of the value of its cultural patrimony.
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