Papaye n° 3
MUSEUM
IN SENEGAL , SOME UNKNOWN TREASURE
They
cannot be counted, Senegalese who turn their back on museums. Those, who have
visited a museum are numerous. Because of the simple fact that according to them
“ they don’t see any interest in it”.
Mbaye Diop
African
museums, generally, leads indoor activities, in other words within a
four-walls-space. Moreover, almost nothing is done to promote their image. As a
result , these places, which hold multiple cultural, historical, scientific
treasures, are rarely frequented. African museums relatively speaking are
working behind closed doors. Truly speaking, in these sanctuaries everything is
done with the population’s total indifference. It would be as well to say that
the museums are not really attractive to people. An investigation makes it clear
: the biggest number of persons don’t have any idea of a museum, its
importance. Those people have never entered inside a museum. Another group, even
if it manages to give a definition after many attempts, doesn’t consider
visiting a museum as a priority. One can’t help laughing after hearing the
variety of definition given for a museum. Ibrahim Drame doesn’t bother himself
the answer is : “I don’t know”
This
answer is the most given during this investigation. Without any embarrassment,
people return you the question (what’s a museum). Mamadou
Ndiaye, a student gives another definition “the museum is a place where
artists are gathered to present their works to the public and to take advantage
of this occasion to sell them...”.Thus, a big number of people make the
confusion between museum and galleries. A funny definition turns the museum into
a place where valueless, useless objects are stored. Museum’s importance is
not always perceived by the public. The answers given can sometime make you
laugh : “What can we get from a museum ;
it’s only for the pleasure of the eyes, I can do without it. To be
honest, I’m not interested” a lady belches out. “I can’t see their
importance” stated Samba Ndiaye, a law-student ; he carries on saying
“Visiting a museum supposes that I am financially stable to sustain myself.”
In the same stream of thoughts Adama Sagna
finds that museums “are destined to people who find interest in Art. I’m not
in this case.” All these people mentioned above have never visited any museum.
They don’t know any in Senegal. Others, however often hear about Goree Museum
and Place de Soweto Museum.
If
some of them are planning to visit a museum one day, others see it as a waste of
time. “I can’t afford it for the time being. I’ll do it in the future.
Right now I am preoccupied by other things” declared a young manager ; his
hobbies are books and movies. This secretary is saying the same thing :
“during the holidays, I used to go the little coast’s tourist places, may be
one day I’ll find some interest in visiting museums. If for instance a friend
of mine is willing to make me discover the place, I may go. But honestly, I
haven’t succumbed yet to the charm of museums.”
“Museum,
what for ? It doesn’t feed you !” exclaimed anonymously a civil servant. For
him, visiting is a kind of thing he has never thought : “It’s not part of my
preoccupation” he said. “ I would rather go to the beach, to the stadium, to
the library or other reading places” added someone else.
This
audience’s lack of concern toward museum is attested by their low rate of
visitors. This can be illustrated by what is happening at IFAN museum located at
Soweto Place where the seldom visitors are tourists, a few scholars or students
doing research on a population’s cultural aspect. And if Goree is an
exception, it’s mainly frequented by tourists
and local people motivated by the marine crossing, and it’s due to the
its privileged island position with its beach well-appreciated.
However, in spite of this strong tendency showing historical places’ misappreciation , some are really enjoying the fact of going to discover and to use the treasures hidden in these places. Gabriel Lapolice, a student at Cheikh Anta Diop University likes since his childhood spent in Europe. For the need of his elementary studies, his teachers brought him to visit museum. Papa Alioune Diba is student in the Art faculty of the same university, he has been to historic museum of Goree, and discovered wonders there. He learned a lot on Dakar’s monarchy : “I was filled with wonders by the documents conserved there. I didn’t expect to see such ancient documents” he said.