‘’Essentiel Paysage (Essential Landscape) brings together a selection of modern and contemporary African artists. Some of the works depict a continent that has been blessed by nature, underscoring the interdependence between humans, animals and plants. Others provide a critical perspective on the unsound utilisation of natural resources in Africa and denounce its harmful effects. Using visual metaphors, these unique, imaginative or scholarly artworks present a kaleidoscopic picture of the current state of the environment.
It is a fact that nature plays a major role in modern African artistic and literary production. The very choice of the title of this exhibition, Essential landscape, taken from one of Aimé Césaire’s works, testifies to the importance attached by this poet to the imaginary world of nature and landscapes, which he imbued with the values of a postcolonial society in search of specific identity and modernity. The poet thus “claims to be of an essential Nature, and reappropriates a real or dream Africa, land of the origins, whose cosmogonies and myths of nature are evoked”. Today, many African artists have become aware of the need to preserve nature, this common good that is essential to life. In their own way, they have adopted an attitude shared by international artists who have developed forms of art related to ecological issues. Their commitment is intended as a sensitive and aesthetic contribution to the debate on global environmental challenges.’’
Stated by Brahim Alaoui.

LEILA ALAOUI – JOËL ANDRIANOMEARISOA – MUSTAPHA AZEROUAL – SAMMY BALOJI – FARID BELKAHIA – MOHAMED BEN ALLAL – HICHAM BERRADA – ABDELMALIK BERKHISS – AMANI BODO – PIERRE BODO – CHÉRI CHÉRIN – CALIXTE DAKPOGAN – ABDELLAH EL ATRACH – MOHAMED EL BAZ – MOUNIR FATMI – MAWI MAZGABU GERA – JOHN GOBA – ROMUALD HAZOUMÈ – AHMED LOUARDIGHI – GONÇALO MABUNDA – ABU BAKARR MANSARAY – BAYA MAHIEDDINE – NAJIA MEHADJI – MOKÉ – MOHAMED MELEHI – FABRICE MONTEIRO – MOHAMED MOURABITI – KHALIL NEMMAOUI – RICHARD ONYANGO – NYABA LÉON OUEDRAOGO – YAZID OULAB – YOUNÈS RAHMOUN – ABBES SALADI – CHÉRI SAMBA – ZINEB SEDIRA – MOHAMED TABAL –PASCALE MARTHINE TAYOU – BARTHÉLÉMY TOGUO – ABDERRAHIM YAMOU – BILLIE ZANGEWA

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