Contemporary Artists From Djibouti, Central African Republic And Chad: Art That Breaks The Isolation

Thierry Ndergo - Traffic (2015)

Imago Mundi’s new African art collection – featuring the works of artists from Chad, the Central African Republic (two neighbouring countries in deepest Central Africa) and Djibouti, the city-state on the Horn that looks to the East and to the future – bears witness to this desire to open up to the world and to communicate with the universal language of art, so familiar and yet each time so different. It testifies to the hope that artistic equality can be rapidly followed by human and social equality.

Maxime Ganza - The Fingers Of A Single Hand (2016)

Stretching from the Sahara to the Sudan region, comprising the periphery of the equatorial belt in the south, historically Chad was above all a place of transit for the long caravan routes, such as the trans- Saharan, heading north towards Libya and Egypt and to Sudan, with cattle, gold, ivory, weapons, fabrics and slaves. And this is why Chad is an extremely complex country, with regard to both its ethnic groups and its spoken languages, with more than 200 different groups that share an ancient and proud capacity for survival. The Tubu people, who dwell in the north of the country, a place of astonishing beauty still barely touched by tourism, have a proverb that says “the Tubu can live for three days on a date: the first day eating the skin, the second the pulp and the third the stone”. These inhabitants of Tibesti (from where their name derives) are nomads of slender and elegant build, herders and raiders with a diffident and individualistic temperament. Unlike the Touareg, who move in groups, they face the desert alone: with a few camels and oxen, just a few men. They walk ahead of their animals loaded with salt and dates, and to survive they make a stop in the Archei Gorge, where all the herdsmen of the region water their animals as the dry season progresses.

Jean Valery Giscard Mbanda-Lodjambo - Central African Nature (2015)

Animal breeding and agriculture, moreover, are still the main activities of the working population. The most important crop, which employs almost one million Chadians, is cotton: a valuable production for the national economy, although the harvest is at risk each year from adverse weather conditions and fluctuations in the world cotton trade. Since the early years of the 21st century, Chad has begun to extract oil and this has led GDP to grow at a vertiginous rate (crude oil is exported through a pipeline to Cameroon). But despite significant investment in the sector, especially from China, Chad’s largest trading partner, the country remains at the bottom of world rankings in terms of global competitiveness and the conditions necessary to undertake entrepreneurial activity.

GaliléE Hervé Ndoma - Central African Maternal Love (2015)

The neighbouring Central African Republic is a country studded with tropical forests and rivers, with a rich biodiversity that is also evoked in its art forms, especially in music, which plays an important role in traditional culture. Waterfalls, animal reserves and the savannah, which extends to the foothills of the Bouar plateau, form the backdrop to the traditional villages which, located along the banks of rivers, preserve the ancient culture of this country in the heart of Africa. Independent since 1960, the Central African Republic has not yet succeeded in leaving behind its troubled political past and is far from achieving the minimum goals of democracy. The country’s geographic location contributes to its fragility: many neighbouring states – Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo and, to a lesser extent, Cameroon – are characterized by great instability and traversed by long unresolved conflicts that spill over into Central African territory. “No violence in the name of God”, said Pope Francis at the beginning of his visit to the main mosque in the capital Bangui in November 2015. Inaugurating the Jubilee of Mercy in the Central African Republic, he asked worshippers to avoid “the temptation of fear of others, of the unfamiliar, of what is not part of our ethnic group, our political views or our religious confession”, with the hope of promoting “a synthesis of the richness which each person has to offer” and “unity in diversity”.

Omar Ali Food - Fisherman (2014)

But the porous borders of the Republic and the morphology of the territory, made up of large expanses and sparsely populated forests, have facilitated the mobility and creation of bases of rebel factions from various countries, as well as arms trafficking, creating situations of great instability and social inequality. Yet the Central African Republic can count on strategic natural resources, from diamonds to gold, uranium, iron, copper, and the extraordinary biodiversity of its forests, where, respecting the Jengi, the spirit of the forest, one of the most ancient peoples on Earth still lives: the Aka “Pygmies” who have a perfect knowledge of herbal medicine and ancient hunting traditions.

David Nadjiam Djasnabaye - African Village (2016)

A sign of hope, a desire for the future that has also been embraced by the former French colony of Djibouti, independent since 1977. At the southern end of the Red Sea at the Strait of Bāb el-Mandeb, with the Arab Peninsula only 20 kilometres from its shores, Djibouti is a strategic outpost for the world’s geopolitical interests, where Europeans and Americans combat piracy and terrorism. And where, thanks to Chinese, Indian, Brazilian and Turkish investment, a major commercial hub is developing at the intersection of East Africa and the great Europe- Asia maritime axis. The activity of the port and its related services already account for two-thirds of Djibouti’s GDP and are driving the rapid and sustained growth of its economy.

Francky Madjilem - Bobo And Noupi (2016)



The Republic of Djibouti also offers a wide variety of scenery and natural and artistic riches. Like, for example, the incredible volcanic landscapes of Ghoubbet, and the verdant Forêt de Day National Park, 1,400 metres above sea level; paradises on earth like the Sables Blancs beach and rock art sites such as Abourma, in the Makarrassou massif, with engravings that date back to the Neolithic Age. It is, essentially, a synthesis of the landscapes, culture and humanity of Africa, as is this collection of 140 10x12 cm works by artists from Chad, the Central African Republic and Djibouti, which captures the unbroken thread of courageous humanity and artistic passion that is capable of overcoming – as the curators of the collection highlight in their introductions – perilous political, bureaucratic and logistical obstacles.

Derick-Chrismas Ganzo - Word Of Peace (2015)

It is a collection that surprises in many ways, where tradition is intertwined with the pursuit of innovation. Where this forgotten world puts itself forward with the strength of its culture and the wealth of its images. And with a dignity as ancient as the history of mankind. It brings to mind the winning image of the 2014 World Press Photo awards, taken by the American photographer John Stanmeyer on the coast of Djibouti: the dark African night is illuminated by a full moon and a group of migrants try to receive a signal on their mobile phones. Gary Knight, chair of the jury, said of the photo, “this image is so hopeful”, it is an “expression of people trying to find a new life for themselves and trying to connect with other people elsewhere in the world”. Searching – like the artists in this illuminating collection – for visibility, equality and the freedom to determine their own destiny.

Luciano Benetton