The Ọṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove is a vibrant center of Yorùbá spirituality and creative expression in southwestern Nigeria that welcomes thousands of worshipers and visitors each year.
In this documentary, part of Africa’s Cultural Landmarks, a series produced by The Met in collaboration with World Monuments Fund and directed by Sosena Solomon, striking cinematography brings you among the shrines and sculptures produced during the New Sacred Art movement of the 1960s that form a living cultural monument. Hear informed perspectives from artists and experts, including Adebisi Nurudeen Adisa, the son of sculptor Adebisi Akanji.
As part of a larger initiative to reframe The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries, Africa’s Cultural Landmarks foreground the voices of those who live and work among these historic sites. The films underscore the significance of local stewardship in the preservation of historical landscapes, bridging past and present in an effort to deepen understanding of Africa’s diverse cultural landscapes.
About the Ọṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove
The UNESCO World Heritage site of Ọ̀ṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove is an extensive cultural landscape of undisturbed forest near the Yorùbá city of Òṣogbo in southwestern Nigeria. Dedicated to Ọ̀ṣun, the goddess of rivers and fertility, the area was established more than four centuries ago and is the largest of the surviving sacred groves that play an integral role in every Yorùbá settlement. The Ọ̀ṣun River meanders through the protected area, with sanctuaries and shrines erected along its course. In the twentieth century, the development of the movement of New Sacred Art invigorated efforts to protect the grove, and modern sculpture now adds to the spiritual significance of the site. This movement was led by artists Adebisi Akanji, Kasali Akangbe Ogun, Buraimoh Gbadamosi, and Rabiu Abesu, as well as artist and priestess Susanne Wenger. Together they transformed Òṣogbo into a hub of artistic activity and spiritual engagement, which continues through the work of their descendants.
Africa’s Cultural Landmarks is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with World Monuments Fund.
