The Chamber of Faro this afternoon, it unanimously rejected a proposal of 2 million euros for the purchase of the African art piece “Nkisi Nkondi”, which is part of the Municipal Museum's estate.
The offer was made by the English gallery Entwistle, specialized in this type of artefacts, about a month and a half ago, according to the Sul Informação.
In the document for voting, taken to the Chamber meeting, signed by Vice President Paulo Santos, the councilors were given two hypotheses: the recognition of the «interest in the practice of acts and procedures leading to the disposal of the piece Nikisi Nkondo, municipal heritage, allocating the respective investment value in the space of the Municipal Museum of Faro and cultural valorization of the same”, or “not recognizing interest in the practice of acts and procedures leading to the alienation of the piece Nikisi Nkondi, heritage of the Municipality”.
The document reads that Niki Nkondi «is one of the main pieces of the heritage collection of the Municipal Museum of Faro, either for its unique characteristics of a ritualistic object, associated with tribal practices in Congo, linked to witchcraft and spirituality" and that "its presence in exhibitions in reference museums in the field of anthropology, made this piece one of the most traveled and with the greatest curriculum within the set of cultural assets of the Municipal Museum of Faro».
The proposal also considered that «the piece adds gains in the international and universalist vision that the museum can have, namely showing the different religious and spiritual latitudes that exist and that have also passed through here, just remembering the city of Faro, as a port and a place for coexistence between different cultures».
On the other hand, the document recognized that investment in the Museum's space, where the sale proceeds would be channeled, is considered a “priority, especially in terms of increasing the exhibition area, as well as increasing the area of reserves and relocation of some technical services , fitting into the perspective of urban rehabilitation foreseen by PARU" and that the "city of Faro it has no particular relationship with this piece of African origin, except for the fact that it was collected and offered by a local citizen in 1917 (João de Sousa Viegas)».
In the early afternoon, around 14 pm, four hours before the end of the Chamber meeting, the PS Faro, in a statement sent to the newsrooms, accused the executive led by Rogério Bacalhau, of the PSD, of “degrading the cultural assets of the people of Farres”.
For the socialists, «the proposal to sell this cultural asset, alleging financial reasons, is a real scandal and exposes the lack of a strategy for the assertion of Faro».
However, at the Chamber meeting, the sale of the piece was unanimously rejected, that is, either by the PS, the PSD, or the CDU.
Source of the Chamber of Faro told the Sul Informação that "there was never an intention to sell this piece" and that this statement from the Socialists "left us very surprised", since "when the proposal was received, there was a meeting with the opposition councilors where the intention of not accept it. However, it was not up to the president, or the vice-president, to reject a proposal of this value and it was mandatory that the Chamber do so».
For this reason, according to the same source, the socialist councilors “have known since this day that it was not the intention to sell the heritage, but to preserve it, enrich it and improve it. There is full awareness that this piece greatly enriches both the municipality and the Museum».
At the Chamber meeting, in addition to the rejection of the sale of “Nkisi Nkondi”, a proposal was also unanimously approved for an impartial assessment of the artifact and insurance to be carried out, so that it is protected.
About Nkisi Nkondi:
This piece dates from the XNUMXth century and was incorporated in the collection of the Municipal Museum of Faro in 1917, having been collected on the border of Congo (Ionbe) with Angola and Zaire. In an anthropomorphic way, it is full of nails, blades, iron and copper elements. On his chest he bears a hanging rattle and reliquaries; the glass eyes, the wood carving and the half-open mouth accentuate its expressiveness and characteristics. His right arm, raised, carried a knife or small spear in his hand, giving him some movement. Wood, copper, iron, glass, plant fibers and fabric make up this fetish.
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