His African background, and his contact with fellow artists from Benin and surrounding countries, have always remained of great importance for Meschac Gaba. This is expressed in the theme of his work. Gaba maintains intensive contact with his country of origin and regularly makes working trips to Benin. In 2002, for example, together with the Belgian artist Michel Francois whom he knew as an advisor at the Rijksakademie, he visited Benin to gather material for a new space in his African Museum: the discotheque. During their visit they discussed and exchanged ideas with artists and organisations on the spot, including Dominique Zinkpe and the BoulevArt festival. In Benin, Meschac Gaba is a shining example and a source of inspiration for many young artists.