No
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
This was passed on from a series of anonymous sources:
From: "Barthelemy Toguo"
Subject: RE: 52nd Venice Biennale
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:58:09 +0000
Dear Simon NJAMI & Fernando ALVIM,
I'm afraid I must regretfully decline the invitation to participate in your project for the next Venice Biennale for the following reasons: As an artist born on the African continent, for the last 20 years I have attempted to follow an artistic path which is multidisciplinary, international and ambitious, and there have been occasions when, as an artist, I have observed waywardness, tragedies and misdeeds, such as "Head Above Water," everywhere I have been - in Kosovo, Cuba, Lagos, Serbia, Saint Denis (France), Hiroshima, Moscow, Johannesburg...What guides me is a constantly evolving aesthetic but also a sense of ethics which makes a difference and structures my entire approach. With my private initiative,
"BANDJOUN STATION" (http://www.mouvement.net/html/fiche.php?doc_to_load=11288) in Cameroon and the artistic project that accompanies it, I wanted to take on my responsibilities as a man and an artist by offering another model and reference. Under no circumstances whatever should my name be associated with that of SINDIKA DOKOLO
or the collection that he has put together over the years. I respect all of the artists whose work figures in that collection, but I don't want to have anything to do with it. I am sure that other occasions in which art and ethics may cohabit will present themselves in the future, for the good of everyone in the world.
I thank you again for your understanding in this matter.
Barthelemy Toguo
From: "Barthelemy Toguo"
Subject: RE: 52nd Venice Biennale
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:58:09 +0000
Dear Simon NJAMI & Fernando ALVIM,
I'm afraid I must regretfully decline the invitation to participate in your project for the next Venice Biennale for the following reasons: As an artist born on the African continent, for the last 20 years I have attempted to follow an artistic path which is multidisciplinary, international and ambitious, and there have been occasions when, as an artist, I have observed waywardness, tragedies and misdeeds, such as "Head Above Water," everywhere I have been - in Kosovo, Cuba, Lagos, Serbia, Saint Denis (France), Hiroshima, Moscow, Johannesburg...What guides me is a constantly evolving aesthetic but also a sense of ethics which makes a difference and structures my entire approach. With my private initiative,
"BANDJOUN STATION" (http://www.mouvement.net/html/fiche.php?doc_to_load=11288) in Cameroon and the artistic project that accompanies it, I wanted to take on my responsibilities as a man and an artist by offering another model and reference. Under no circumstances whatever should my name be associated with that of SINDIKA DOKOLO
or the collection that he has put together over the years. I respect all of the artists whose work figures in that collection, but I don't want to have anything to do with it. I am sure that other occasions in which art and ethics may cohabit will present themselves in the future, for the good of everyone in the world.
I thank you again for your understanding in this matter.
Barthelemy Toguo
posted by Robert Sloon at 7:16 PM
8 Comments:
Here's a good one -- some people are reading this from far away!
That is, we need some background!
Can someone supply some info on Barthelemy for us? And what is "Head above Water"?
Thenx!
Not sure what Head Above Water is? But Barthelemy Toguo is a Cameroonian artist of some repute. You can see some examples of his work here. Or look on the internet.
'Head Above Water' is a work of commentary on postcards written by people in different countries Toguo visited - kosovo 2004, Lagos 2005, Seine Saint-Denis 2005, Havana 2006, Hiroshima 2006.
Bandjoun Station will be an art centre in Cameroon he has funded from the profits of the sale of his work which will house a collection of art by African artists, host exhibitions and artists in residence and be available for various kinds of events.
To anyone who still can't understand contemporary painting... look at Toguo's work and catch a wake up
Wow! Go Toguo Go! .......but seriously this guy is my new hero, how many other dudes would stick to their guns and turn down Venice? so cool
ruth (rude) sacks take note
anonymous 5:11, you miss the point.
ah, the hate the hate, said captain kurtz resting his forearm on a human skull as he gazed across the liesbeeck river
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