SYMBOLS OF LIFE: Beyond Perception
An Artistic Exploration of the Human Soul
An Interview with Rémy Mallet, Curator
In the context of the 2024 Dakar Art Biennale’s OFF program, our exhibition “SYMBOLS OF LIFE: Beyond Perception - An Artistic Exploration of the Human Soul,” in partnership with local organizer DakartNews, and curated by its founder, Rémy Mallet, brings together two remarkable West African artists, Tidiane Ndongo (Mali) and Djibril Coulibaly (Senegal), who explore the heart of symbols and the essence of life itself.
Symbols are more than mere visual elements; they are a language through which humanity expresses and comprehends its deepest truths. What defines these artists' approach is not the mere imitation of objects but the vitality that animates them. Their works are not representations of objects but rather symbols and suggestions, echoing the late Senegalese President Senghor's philosophy on African art.
The two noted participating artists invite us to look beyond the surface and reflect on universal themes such as identity, transformation, heritage, and transmission. Each piece tells a story, using powerful symbols to evoke reflections on the human experience. Tidiane Ndongo’s intricate mudcloth patterns and Djibril Coulibaly’s dynamic fingerprint motifs encourage contemplation on the shared human condition.
SYMBOLS OF LIFE: Beyond Perception is an invitation to explore these universal truths through the evocative lens of art, offering a profound sensory journey that resonates beyond the visual, speaking directly to the soul. The exhibition will be run from November 7 – December 7, 2024, during the Dakar Art Biennale, Africa’s premiere art event, at Hotel Le Djoloff, Dakar, Senegal. The opening event is on November 9th from 4 – 9 pm.
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As we near the opening of the SYMBOLS OF LIFE exhibition, CARAVAN President, Paul G. Chandler, had the privilege of interviewing the curator, Rémy Mallet, the founder of DakartNews, who is our local organizing partner. It is a remarkable extensive interview and one that we believe you will find both inspirational and educational.
“By confronting the viewer with beauty, vulnerability, or new perspectives, art encourages introspection, challenging one's own prejudices and opening the mind to others. This ability of art to spark conversations, provoke emotions, and create bridges between cultures makes it profoundly transformative.” - Rémy Mallet, Curator
Rémy Mallet is an art journalist. He worked several years in Bonn, Germany for Deutsche Welle, the German public international broadcaster. He’s the founder of DakartNews, an online platform that promote contemporary African visual artists. Through DakartNews, he’s dedicated to show-casing contemporary African artists from Senegal, and West Africa, firmly believing in the ability of art to unite people and act as a powerful catalyst for intercultural dialogue. The platform operates in English to reach a global audience, bridging diverse cultures and fostering cross-cultural understanding on an international scale. For more information see: dakartnews.com.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am 34 years old and live between Europe and Africa. Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast to a Senegalese-Gambian mother and an Ivorian-Malian father, I had the opportunity to grow up in several West African countries as well as in Germany, where I’ve lived for the past ten years. My childhood was deeply influenced by a rich artistic environment. My father was passionate about music and sang psalms. I began my music lessons at the age of eight, performing classical pieces at concerts. His love for art extended beyond music; our home was filled with sculptures, and every table or bookshelf was adorned with stylized figures. While living in Mali, he decorated our home with Dogon doors and bogolan textiles. It was in this inspiring artistic universe that I grew up.
Academically, I trained as a journalist, but I don't define myself solely by my degrees. What I learned outside the classroom has been far more enriching. In my early twenties, I moved to Germany to pursue a master’s degree in media studies. Afterward, I worked for several years at Deutsche Welle, the German international public broadcaster based in Bonn. As an international journalist in the French-speaking Africa department, I covered news from numerous African countries, exploring politics, culture, and social issues. This experience has been incredibly valuable. Reporting on cities like Dakar (Senegal) Goma (DR Congo), Lomé (Togo), or Kigali (Rwanda) has opened new perspectives for me and allowed me to see the fundamental similarities between human beings, regardless of their location. Whether in Guadeloupe, California, or N'Djamena, I have witnessed the same human emotions: joy, pain, compassion, and shared aspirations. Despite cultural differences, the essence of humanity is universal. This is why I consider myself a citizen of humanity and aim to share this wealth of perspectives with as many people as possible.
Can you share with us how DakartNews, which you founded, came about? And about your vision for it?
The creation of DakartNews happened quite spontaneously, I would say. After putting my journalism career on hold to focus on personal projects in Africa, specifically in Senegal, I felt the need to write, to share, or rather to help others share. You know, when you've practiced a profession for many years and you stop, something from that experience always stays with you. For me, the idea was to combine my journalistic skills with my passion for art. That's how it all started. I have no deadlines to publish an article, no pressure, and above all, no space limitations when it comes to telling me what I see. This is important because when I worked in radio, time was very limited, and word count was strict. But with the Internet, there are no such limits. The main reason was really to fill my free time with what I love. With that in mind, I meet with artists to talk about their work, explore what's being done here, and then report on it. To me, this isn’t a job because I'm not paid to do it, it's simply a passion.
Another reason that pushed me to create DakartNews was the feeling that Francophone Africa is often overlooked. In Germany, when I talk to people, those who know Africa are usually familiar with South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, or other Anglophone countries. This creates a certain marginalization of Francophone Africa, simply due to language, despite the fact that cities like Cotonou (Benin), Abidjan (Cote D’Ivoire), or Kinshasa (DR Congo) are constantly evolving, always in motion. The changes are massive: roads are being built, houses are torn down to make way for something new, bridges are transforming cities, and trains like the TER in Senegal or the metro under construction in Abidjan are reshaping the urban landscape. I’m sure if I returned to Bonn today, I wouldn’t feel lost. Things there remain relatively the same: the roads, the houses, everything is still in its place. Nothing has really changed. But every time I come back to Dakar, for instance, I come back to a different city.
This African momentum, this dynamism, this energy in which the artists live and work - that’s what I want to share through DakartNews and make it known to a wider audience. That's why we publish only in English. It’s also a way to create connections, bridges, and links with others. The long-term ambition of DakartNews is to evolve into a global hub for cultural exchange, a platform that not only amplifies African voices but also fosters meaningful dialogue and collaboration across continents. We aim to build bridges between diverse artistic communities, creating a space where ideas, creativity, and cultural insights can flow freely, shaping a more interconnected and enriched global arts landscape.
The SYMBOLS OF LIFE exhibition is both DakartNews' and CARAVAN’s first exhibition in Senegal. As the Curator for the exhibition, can you share with us about your inspiration behind the idea and what you hope the exhibition will accomplish?
First, I am honored that you have committed to joining this exhibition project. I believe that your work also aligns with this vision of interculturality through the arts, which brings our perspectives closer together.
Concerning your question, I would like to mention that human societies around the world have communicated through symbols, signs, and other ideograms. From cave art, the use of signs suggests to some authors a symbolic communication, not merely aesthetic. This indicates that symbolic language is one of the oldest methods of representation. It also serves as a means to address much deeper and more complex issues related to inexpressibility. What interests me is how, from ids, from existing or non-existent objects, we as humans manage to represent them. What is particularly intriguing on the African continent is the cultural aspect.
Edward T. Hall referred to "High Context Cultures" to describe cultures where context plays a much more significant role and communication is implicit. In contrast, "Low Context Cultures" are those where less importance is given to context, and communication tends to be more direct. One cannot essentialize a culture, but I believe that in Africa, people tend to be generally less direct in their communication. In a context where what is said is not always expressed directly but suggested, it is important to explore various symbolisms. The first President of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor, when speaking about African art, believed it was not image-equation but image-analogy. "The object does not signify what it represents, but what it suggests, what it creates. The elephant is Strength; the spider, Caution; the horns are the Moon; and the moon, Fertility," he wrote in an essay titled "The Spirit of Civilization or the Laws of Negro-African Culture," published in 1956 in Présence africaine.
Reflecting Senghor’s view of African art, Symbols of Life delves into the world of symbolism to reveal the profound suggestions and hidden meanings that enrich African art, transforming each element into an exploration of forces, mysteries, and cultures.
I would love to learn what led you to invite the two artists, Tidiane Ndongo and Djibril Coulibaly, to participate in SYMBOLS OF LIFE.
To continue from the previous question, I would start by saying that Tidiane Ndongo’s work fits perfectly within this analogy of art. The symbols he uses in his works convey fundamental messages in a metaphorical way, not directly but through suggestion. For the Bambara people, for example, direct speech can be considered harsh. Pauline Duponchel, a researcher who has studied the art of women practicing bogolan (mudcloth), believes that imagery and allegory are signs of intellectual refinement and intelligence among the Bambaras. However, Tidiane doesn’t limit himself to the symbols of bogolan. He also incorporates signs from Komo, the most important initiation society among the Bambaras. The Komo symbols, numbering 266, trace the history of creation, the universe, both visible and invisible. They represent spiritual and intellectual values upon which the society relies. For those interested, I recommend reading the book by G. Dieterlen and Youssouf Tata Cissé titled Les fondements de la société initiatique du Komo. What’s fascinating is how these ancestral symbols address contemporary issues. With his unique style, called dogodogoni, meaning "labyrinth," Tidiane creates a link between the past and the present.
Watch a short new video about Tidiane Ndongo and his artwork
For a bit of personal history, I grew up with some of Tidiane’s paintings at home without knowing him personally. My father supported him in his early days by helping him acquire materials and selling his paintings abroad, notably in the United States. I still have a painting from 1995, when Tidiane was just beginning.
As for Djibril Coulibaly, I discovered him recently. What struck me about his approach is the profound inner quest he incorporates into his art. He meditates extensively on the Qur’an, as if seeking a revelation from the depths of his soul. This depth in his work is well illustrated by what he told me when I first met him: "My paintings are not meant to be merely looked at, but to be meditated upon." Aesthetically, he manages to create movement from the multiple signs of fingerprints, giving the impression of a whirlpool when observing his works. To some extent, this also resembles the dogodogoni (labyrinth in Bambara) of Tidiane Ndongo - this labyrinth that can make our eyes swirl. For me, having a diversity of experiences is important. Tidiane is older, while Djibril is still young. This, in my opinion, creates a good mix. Additionally, one is Malian and the other Senegalese, which represents a wonderful intergenerational and intercultural encounter. But despite their different origins, they share the same ethnic group, as Coulibaly is a Bambara name.
Watch a short new video about Djibril Coulibaly and his artwork
You have written quite extensively about contemporary art in Senegal, and even West Africa. I would love to hear your take on the state of contemporary art in the region.
To truly understand contemporary African art, it is crucial to grasp the unique socio-political and cultural context in which African artists work. For instance, West Africa is a region marked by rapid transformation and dynamism. In the Sahel, for example, shifts in alliances with Western powers and neighboring countries are ongoing, while cities like Dakar, Senegal and Abidjan, Ivory Coast are rapidly evolving. Recently, we have seen significant developments such as Senegal’s oil discovery and Nigeria’s new largest refinery, established by Aliko Dangote. These milestones underscore the region's growth. Furthermore, the younger generation, who are more educated and globally connected than previous generations, is increasingly demanding better conditions and opportunities. This is why many are even risking their lives to seek a better future abroad, driven by their exposure to global standards.
Despite this connectivity, traditional beliefs and customs remain deeply entrenched. While Christianity and Islam are widespread, ancestral practices continue to influence daily life. Therefore, contemporary African art represents a dialogue between past traditions and future possibilities, reflecting this blend of old and new.
In this context, creativity in West Africa is flourishing, with a growing number of galleries and art events. Notable artists such as Aboudia in Ivory Coast, Abdoulaye Konaté in Mali, and Soly Cissé in Senegal are gaining recognition, showcasing the vibrant energy of the region. Furthermore, major events like the Dakar Biennale, the International Arts Biennale of Abidjan, the African Photography Biennale in Bamako, the AKAA fair in Paris, and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair highlight the richness of African art.
Rémy Mallet, the founder of DakartNews
However, despite these developments, young artists, in particular, face significant challenges, including a shortage of workspaces and studios, limited exhibition venues, high costs for art materials, and a lack of artist residencies to accommodate their creativity. As a result, these issues impede their ability to produce and showcase their work effectively. Therefore, there is a pressing need for more private initiatives, artist residencies, and support for international travel. Additionally, increased coverage of African art and the development of art criticism are essential. Although progress is being made, it remains modest compared to the potential within the region.
I think the global art market presence of African artists does not always reflect the high quality of their work. This discrepancy may be attributed to either a lack of understanding or insufficient efforts to integrate African art into the global scene. DakartNews aims to address this gap by providing a platform for African artists to share their stories and connect with a broader audience.
CARAVAN employs art to creatively foster peace and harmony between diverse peoples, cultures and spiritual traditions. I would love your thoughts on why you feel art can be transformative.
The transformative power of art is undeniable. Look at how the appropriation of African art played a crucial role for the surrealists. In the context of the war that ravaged Europe, African art became a sort of therapy and transcendence for them, as if it brought them closer to the divine. African art even inspired their approach. With African art, they were able to reinvent themselves, bring something new, and challenge artistic norms.
This is exemplified by Picasso and cubism. His inspiration from African masks, in particular, allowed Europe to see art from elsewhere in a new light, moving beyond the primitivism that had dominated European thought. Only art has this subtle ability to convey messages and make an impact that even the greatest political speeches could not achieve. By confronting the viewer with beauty, vulnerability, or new perspectives, art encourages introspection, challenging one's own prejudices and opening the mind to others. This ability of art to spark conversations, provoke emotions, and create bridges between cultures makes it profoundly transformative. I also believe that art can serve as a mirror to society, highlighting inequalities, injustices, or suffering, while offering visions of a better world. By making differences visible while emphasizing our common humanity, art has the power to provoke a shift in mindset, which is essential for building lasting peace. I believe that CARAVAN’s initiatives are a great example of how art can play a transformative role in society. When, through your initiatives in the tense context of 2001, you managed to bring together around art people of different faiths as well as artists from the Middle East and the West, it perfectly illustrates how art can succeed where other initiatives might struggle.
A glimpse of the artists' work in SYMBOLS OF LIFE
Right to Left:
Tidiane Ndongo, Nyeshi (Eyebrows), Clay and Plant on Velvet, 140 x 125 cm
Djibril Coulibaly, La Bataille de Badr (The Battle of Badr), 2024, Acrylic on canvas, 135 x 105 cm
For further reading and exploring:
-See DakartNews' website page for SYMBOLS OF LIFE: Beyond Perception
-Read DakartNews’ spotlight on Tidiane Ndongo – see: The Mask
-Read DakartNews’ spotlight on Djibril Coulibaly – see: Fingerprint Art: Unique and Universally Connected
-Read DakartNews' interview with Paul G. Chandler, CARAVAN President - see: Transforming the World through Art
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