On April 6, 2024, Artopia organized We Make Book In Douala, a day of reflection on art publishing in Africa and Cameroon. This meeting with experts from diverse backgrounds was also an opportunity to promote the book Anthology: Art from Africa, Its Place in Our Lives and Time.
We Make Book In Douala is a day of reflection bringing together various experts and academics from diverse backgrounds. The event focused on art publishing in Cameroon and Africa, with the goal of exploring the challenges and opportunities in this evolving field. This gathering highlighted innovative ideas on how African art is documented, disseminated, and preserved through publications.
In parallel, the event also served as a platform to promote the book Anthology: Art from Africa, Its Place in Our Lives and Time, produced by the Goethe-Institut Nigeria and published by Narrative Landscape Press in 2023. This work is a deep exploration of the place of African art in our contemporary lives, offering a critical analysis of artistic practices across the continent. The presentation of this book showcased the richness and diversity of African art, while emphasizing the importance of publishing as a means of promoting and transmitting artistic works and reflections.
In addition to the participation of co-founders Francine Abada and Yves Xavier Ndounda, several renowned experts, such as Dr. Nadine Siegert (art historian and Director of the Goethe-Institut Nigeria), Dr. Narcisse Tchandeu (art historian, lecturer and researcher at the University of Yaoundé 1), Dr. Paul-Henri S. Assako Assako (lecturer and researcher at the University of Yaoundé 1 and Director of the Libre Académie des Beaux-Arts (Laba) of Douala), Thekla Worch Ambara (Director of the Goethe-Institut Cameroon), Annie Josée Njock (Director of Artkontés publishing), and Joseph Omoh Ndukwu (Co-editor of the book Anthology: Art From Africa, Its Place in Our Lives and Times), enriched the discussions on art publishing in Africa. This day encouraged constructive exchanges on the future of artistic publishing, while highlighting works such as Anthology: Art from Africa, Its Place in Our Lives and Times, which underscore the importance of African art in contemporary society.
We would like to express our deep gratitude to all the speakers and participants who contributed to the success of the We Make Book In Douala day. Your presence and exchanges enriched the discussions around art publishing in Africa and allowed us to envision new perspectives for the future of this field. A special thank you to everyone who traveled to meet us. Your contribution to this event is invaluable.
With all our appreciation,
Francine Abada and Yves Xavier Ndounda
Co-founders of Artopia
HUMAN was a day of reflection organized at Artopia to resonate with the beliefs and approach of the artist in his Recensés oubliés series, which aims to re-signify human dignity in the context of migratory movements. For Yvon, this series is his contribution to the process of "building community together."
To achieve this goal, it was essential to redefine the word "human," propose actions for the re-humanization of thought, and implement a set of epistemological actions that are creative, philosophical, educational, political, economic, sociological, and even psychological.
Alongside his Recensés oubliés exhibition at OTHNI (Non-Identified Theatrical Object), the Theatre Laboratory of Yaoundé, which opened on Saturday, March 18, 2023, a series of intellectual activities and publications were proposed. These activities are framed by two key issues: How can we promote the free and dignified movement of people across the world? How can we stimulate the social, educational, economic, and political conditions that allow for the flourishing of populations in their environments of origin?
Invited to this day of reflection were Yvon Ngassam, the artist, Dr. Narcisse Tchandeu, art historian and lecturer at the University of Yaoundé 1, Mballa Claire, Regional Inspector of Educational Policies, Germain Tchuenté, Economist, accountant, and entrepreneur.
HUMAN is a day of reflection organized at Artopia on April 15, 2023, to resonate with the convictions and approach of the artist Yvon Ngassam. In his series Recensés oubliés, he aims to re-signify human dignity in the context of migratory movements.