The “Mama” Museum in Gabon opens its doors to revive African heritage.

Written by: Mohammed Omran

In a move reflecting Gabon’s orientation towards strengthening its cultural presence on the African and international scene, the capital Libreville is preparing to open the “MAMA” Museum during 2026, to be a new space dedicated to modern and ancient African arts. The project comes within broader efforts to preserve cultural heritage and support creative industries, by displaying a diverse collection of artworks that embody the richness of African identity and its cultural diversity, in an effort to consolidate Libreville’s position as a prominent regional cultural center.

Gabon is preparing to open a new museum in 2026 dedicated to modern and ancient African arts. The museum will be called “MAMA”, short for ”Museum of Modern and Ancient Arts”, and will be managed by the Comelog Foundation for Arts and Culture in Libreville. This project is part of a broader strategy to promote Gabon’s heritage and support the country’s cultural industries.

The new cultural project aims to enhance Libreville's position as an arts center in Africa.

The future museum aims to showcase ancient and contemporary artworks from Gabon and sub-Saharan Africa. It will house approximately one hundred works of art, including masks, sculptures, ritual objects, and artifacts that embody the cultural exchange between diverse African societies.

The cultural project also continues discussions initiated in 2024 between the mining company Comelogue and the Gabonese Ministry of Culture regarding the creation of a museum space in Baie des Rois, a new strategic coastal area in Libreville. At that time, Comelogue's Director General, Léo-Paul Batolo, explained the intention to develop a "museum space" that would combine contemporary artworks, traditional heritage, and digital tools related to the mining and geology industries.

The desire to reposition Libreville as a regional cultural center

Beyond its artistic merit, “Mama” reflects a desire to reposition Libreville as a regional cultural center. Gabon already boasts the National Museum of Arts, Rituals and Traditions, the country’s main museum, which opened in 1963 and houses some 2,500 ethnographic artifacts representing more than 40 Gabonese cultural groups.

As for “Mama”, it now aims to expand the scope of cultural offerings to include modern and contemporary art, while enhancing public access to private collections that were previously rarely seen.

The “Mama” Museum opens a new window for introducing Gabonese art to the international stage.

This development is taking place in a context where many African countries are increasingly investing in cultural infrastructure to support tourism, creative industries and heritage preservation. According to UNESCO, cultural and creative industries are an important driver of economic diversification in African countries, particularly for younger generations.

The future museum may also contribute to enhancing the international presence of Gabonese art, which is still poorly represented in major global contemporary art circles. Through this initiative, the Comilog Foundation seeks to combine economic development, cultural transmission, and artistic influence in a country where discussions about heritage preservation and promotion are becoming increasingly important.