African artists seek to rebuild collective memory of the continent

In Yaoundé, the National Museum of Cameroon is hosting an exhibition dedicated to African women.

A total of 17 artists showcased their work during the exhibition depicting Africa’s rich and diversified culture.

The exhibition is entitled "Memoria, stories of another history".

In one corner of this Museum, we meet Ruth Belinga who has installed this memorable art titled ‘My impregnated mosquito net’. Belinga has long been developing an artistic approach in which she establishes a relationship between the violence directed toward women and violence toward nature

"My impregnated mosquito net" Why? Because the mosquito net is an element that the Ministry of Health has been distributing to families. These elements, which I think are foreign to our families, arrive at our homes and enter the most intimate places of our houses, that is to say, our bedrooms and the nets end up witnessing certain atrocities that take place in our private homes," she explained.

At the museum, we also meet Carine Mansan who came from Ivory Coast. Her art has been labeled Ethiopian. She has an installation of 77 bronze heads all black, arranged in tiers. The artist tells her personal story to identify, whether on religion, social, or even cultural.

"Ethiopian comes from the word Aitiopius. It means burnt face. So, in this installation, I decided to give it this name because I consider that as embodied souls. We all have this face burned inside.

Beninese Nadine Hounkpatin is a curator of this exhibition.

"Memoria, stories of another history is an exhibition that began as part of the focus on Women of the Season Africa 20-20 and 2021 at the Fargmaker in the city of Bordeaux, then the exhibition was presented at MUCAC, the Museum of Contemporary Cultures in Damatoungara in Abidjan, and today in 2023, we have the pleasure and honor to be hosted within the National Museum of Cameroon, here in Yaounde," said Nadine.

The exhibition which opened on February 10 under the stewardship of the Cameroonian Minister of Culture continues until July 31.