Olayami Dabls is careful to draw attention to the distinction between material culture and fine art. After working as an artist and curator at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in the 1970s, Dabouls changed directions and founded the MBAD African Bead Museum in 1994 to reintroduce African culture and healing to the Detroit community.
The artist noted that much of the collection at the African American History Museum is subject to fear and misunderstanding, especially when viewed through a colonial European lens. Through MBAD, Dabouls decided to honor the creations of his ancestors and focus his efforts on meeting “our community’s need to provide an authentic experience, unmanipulated by European architecture and exacerbating cultural differences.” His focus was not on entertainment or profit, but on the healing power of creation.
What emerged was a massive outdoor project spanning two blocks at the corner of the Rio Grande and West Grand Avenue. MBAD is made up of dozens of assemblages and installations, using primarily four materials common in Detroit’s formerly industrial neighborhoods: iron, stone, wood, and mirrored glass. Everyone has spiritual powers. Iron and stone have a connection to our bodies and the earth, and mirrors have reflective properties. Wood also embodies the strength and grounding qualities of trees.
Perhaps the best known of these works is “Nkisi House”, from How iron teaches how to rust series. nkisi An object inhabited by the soul, the concept originated in the Congo Basin and was brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade. Covered in mirror fragments, painted panels and other found objects, “Nkisi House” is both an inviting building and a sacred invitation.
Dabouls believes public art is one of the most underutilized healing modalities in Western culture, especially as people tend to treat symptoms rather than eradicate their causes. He believes projects like MBAD can “trigger things inside people, like forgotten memories and deep realizations, through sight and sound,” connecting visitors to each other and those who have been there before. He said:
Our African ancestors used material culture to convey messages about themselves and their identities, and to convey messages of healing and protection. Material culture is used to share stories from the past to the present. It was used to heal, much like we would go to a doctor or psychiatrist today. Cultural materials such as masks, textiles and carvings convey very specific messages and can educate people, relieve stress and act as medicine.
Unlike most museums that separate curation from the gift shop, Dabls treats the bead shop and exhibition as one, offering visitors the opportunity to create within the space and take a piece with them.
Next month at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit, Detroit Cosmology Showcasing the artist’s 45 years of practice, from his site-specific installations to assemblages of found objects. The retrospective seeks to reframe “how museums preserve history, ritual and community” while emphasizing how MBAD remains an active, participatory site of cultural creation and memory.
MBAD is also one of several artist environments that began as grassroots efforts in Detroit and are now gaining institutional recognition. Tyree Guyton’s amazing Heidelberg project has received similar accolades in recent years.
Detroit Cosmology The event runs from April 25th to July 12th. Learn more on MBAD and Dabls’ websites.
