Social Game | Salifou Lindou Fouanta Exhibition | Almas Art Foundation: Explore Cameroonian artist Salifou Lindou Fouanta’s socially engaged drawings, installations, addressing politics, corruption, and community.

The Africa Centre 14 - 26 November 2023 
Overview
The Africa Centre 10:00hrs -18:00hrs https://www.africacentre.org.uk/

Almas Art Foundation was delighted to present Social Game, a week-long programme dedicated to the work of Salifou Lindou Fouanta at The Africa Centre, London. The exhibition brought together key pieces from the artist’s seminal Politiciens and Social Game series alongside more recent works, offering an expansive view of a practice that has, for over three decades, interrogated the social and political dynamics of contemporary Cameroon.

Known for his spontaneous and expressive linework, Lindou captures the tensions between vulnerability and resilience, exposing the daily negotiations of dignity, power, and community. His works depict both the corruption and chaos of political life and the moments of intimacy found in neighbourhood gatherings or children’s play — gestures that speak to endurance and hope.

Accompanying the exhibition was the launch of a documentary film on the artist, produced by Almas Art Foundation, and a publication featuring essays by Dr. Ruth Afane Belinga (Foumban University) and Dr. Joseph Patrice Fouman (Maroua University). A self-taught artist and founding member of the Kapsiki Circle, Lindou has long championed art as a vehicle for political commentary and social transformation. His career — marked by major exhibitions in Cameroon, France, and Denmark, and representation of Cameroon at the Venice Biennale (2022) — continues to inspire new generations of artists in Douala and beyond.

Works
Press release

Almas Art Foundation is delighted to present its forthcoming week of projects celebrating Salifou Lindou Fouanta at the Africa Centre, London.

Social Game will bring together pieces from seminal bodies of works like the Politiciens and the Social Game series alongside more recent works. The week will also mark the launch of a documentary film on the artist produced by Almas Art Foundation and a publication with texts by Dr Ruth Afane Belinga of Foumban University and Dr Joseph Patrice Fouman of Maroua University.

Salifou Lindou’s practice reflects the human desire and struggle to live with dignity in the face of societal and political pressures. Scheming corrupt politicians and families torn by emigration emerge out of spontaneous, energetic lines that express both the vulnerability and the power of human bodies, capturing the impulses and reactions that mark their daily struggles. Similarly, daily scenes with neighbours engaged in lively conversation or children engrossed in their games reflect the moments of connection and community. Salifou Lindou is a keen supporter and mentor to the younger generation of artists in Douala.

A self-taught artist, Salifou Lindou has experimented with a wide range of materials, including metal, leather and paper, and produced complex installations and performances throughout his career. He is a founding member of the Kapsiki Circle, whose performances, projects, and interventions transformed the art scene in Douala in the late 90s. By bringing art to the streets and the public, the Kapsiki Circle firmly established art as an agent of political commentary and social change.

In 2022, Salifou Lindou celebrated the 30th anniversary of his career. His works have been exhibited in institutions including the National Museum of Yaounde (Cameroon), Institut des Cultures de l’Islam (France), and Art Hub Copenhagen (Denmark). Lindou represented Cameroon at the last Venice Biennal (2022).

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