The exhibition was designed as a modern riff on ancient Egypt, bringing together contemporary figures of musical royalty such as Beyoncé, Rihanna and Miles Davis in conversation with the rich culture of the land of the pharaohs.
Instead, “Kemet: Egypt in hip-hop, jazz, soul and funk”, organized by National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the Netherlands, triggered a violent reaction from the Egyptian authorities. In an email to the museum, they denounced the exhibit saying it took an “Afrocentric” approach to ancient Egypt, which amounted to “tampering with history”.
The consequence? The team of museum archaeologists who, since 1975, carried out excavations in Egypt Saqqara The necropolis, sprawling cemetery and key archaeological site, is now prohibited from continuing its work.
The fallout from the exhibition is tied to complicated Egyptian notions of heritage and national identity. In what has sometimes been called cultural misappropriation, there is a sense of frustration that non-Egyptians lump their culture with other African cultures. Prior to this most recent dispute, Netflix was heavily criticized for portraying Queen Cleopatra as a woman of color in a docuseries. The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities has insisted that the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt had Hellenistic features and fair skin.
The National Museum of Antiquities disagrees with the charges against the exhibit, saying the exhibit is a sensitive exploration of the myriad influences that ancient egypt had on black musicians. Indeed, he hopes that people will visit and form their own opinion. “[The museum] welcomes respectful dialogue about the cultural heritage of Egypt and Nubia,” he wrote on his website.
The museum told Artnet News in an email that it had nothing further to add on the Egyptian Antiquities Department’s decisions to no longer issue permits.
The Saqqara funerary complex from which the Dutch team is now banned. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
There was however multiple warning signs before the exhibition opened that a storm was on the horizon. Social media posts promoting “Kemet” saw a deluge of negative responses from mostly Egyptian netizens and Egyptian media also covered the furor. In response to the rejection, the National Museum of Antiquities created an additional webpage describing the background and aims of the exhibit.
The exhibition presents itself as a journey through musical history which immerses visitors in both ancient and modern music. It explores the songs, lyrics and images of pioneering jazz, funk, soul, pop and rap artists through exhibits, artifacts and listening experiences.
“Kemet: Egypt in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul and Funk” runs until September 3.
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