« Bantus – No(s) Culture(s) » marks the return of Kouka’s pacifist warriors to the continent. The artist questions traditions and cultures, the past and the present. He likes to remind us that while it is possible to take over a territory, it is not possible to take over a culture. Immobile, bare-chested, dressed in a simple loincloth and carrying a spear, the “Bantus” protect us and ensure the perpetuation of memory.

In Jardin Rouge, Kouka continues his reflection on the action of painting. Finally, for the Bantus, there is no need for representation: it is the presence of the painting itself, the presence of the artist’s body, of his gesture, of the moment of painting that is important. The artist superimposes the writings borrowed from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the figurative element, creating a veil between his own face and the viewer, who becomes a protector and a vector of thought. The viewer thus becomes a witness of consciousness.

Jardin Rouge Residency – Salle des Casques – From 04 april to 07 june 2015