Barthélémy Toguo’s works cross-examine the beautiful complexities that continue to divide our world today. He combines different mediums and styles, such as watercolor, video installations, and sculptures, to expose the differences between the developing world and the West. His current exhibition, titled: “Inhabit the Earth’ at the HAB Galerie in France, positions the artist as an insatiable traveler who is not limitless and bound by geographical or cultural notions. He, instead, seeks to explore the inequalities and crises that seem to divide our world today.
‘I am an artist who witnesses the world surrounding me and where I live because I travel a lot. So I see and restore the memory of forgotten people, of nature, which I celebrate in my creation ‘. These are Barthélémy Toguo’s words following his nomination as the UNESCO Artist for Peace in October 2021.
The three-part exhibition features different sculptures, installations, and paintings that aim to allow his audiences to converse and reflect upon their worlds. Androula Michael and Marie Dupas curate the exhibition, which is still ongoing at the HAB Galerie until September 17th.
The exhibition questions cultural memory, influenced by the artist’s Cameroonian heritage. However, it does not prevent the audience from celebrating the power of life emanating from the works. One Immaculate boat installation titled: Road to Exile features a gigantic boat overflowing with bales and invaded by sea bottles. The installation has an Urban Requiem of assembled carved wooden stamps and imprinted prunts with slogans borrowed from protest movements of his recent work.
This piece invites audiences to contemplate the issues of violence and exile of the people who risk their lives to cross borders. Additionally, viewers are invited to examine the effects of famines and ecological disasters and how they contribute to the discrimination and rejection of individuals from other countries.
Road to Exile.Image courtesy of Hab Gallerie
Toguo’s art is a potent blend of provocation and satire, seamlessly intertwining critique and creativity. His performance piece “Transit” (1996) disrupted transit security with wooden bags and a cartridge belt filled with candles. Through his art, Toguo prompts thought-provoking reflections on the complexities of migration, cultural exchange, and societal boundaries.
His artistic repertoire spans installations, performances, photography, and watercolor paintings. He delves into the interconnected flow of people and goods between the developing world and the West. Toguo portrays humanity as potential exiles, constantly driven by the urge to travel, becoming “displaced being’.
