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as my life path is coming closer and the artworks in the context of these
closer to an end, I must say that even documents -- that is to say, at the time
today I remember very little of what when these artworks were made.
I have done. I have distributed pho-
tos of the things I did, like the theatre I think it would be interesting to
stage sets that I made, photos of my show these images -- the structure of
painted faces, etc. I may somewhere a village, the landscape, and to show
in a drawer have photos of some fif- images of the objects that were being
teen or twenty theatre sets, but these created there at the time. There are
are certainly not what I consider the heaps of things to show, and I have
most important things among my original pictures from 1900 to 1940.
work. Others exist in the archives Many of the major Western photo-
of theatres for which I worked and graphers were in Africa at that time,
some have been published in books. and there was also a flourishing pro-
But otherwise, I am someone who duction of postcards, which are a
does not live with my past but rather great source of information.
with numerous memories, and with-
in these memories, my professional Talking about the Fulani in Guinea,
experiences are less important than for example, would be great. They
my memories related my travels, do not have sculptures as they were
people I have met, etc. Islamized early on, but you must see
I also have writing projects. There their beauty, the wonderful hairstyles
They are even more important in are things that excite me, that I have of the women, their jewellery, their
that they are related to my encoun- just discovered, and that I would like houses, etc. African art is always re-
ters with others. Of course there to write about. For instance, I would lated to agrarian populations. In fact,
are friendships that one keeps, but like to make a book about colonial you have to be sedentary to produce
fortunately we also have the abi- Africa, because I have all the neces- art. The nomads take with them what
lity to make new friendships. I have sary documentation, original photo- is required, the basics, and therefore
this taste for travelling and the fact graphs from the 1900s up to 1940, these groups do not produce much
that I'm stateless contributes to this and I can link them to my previous art. If we talk about Africa, we must
desire. As you might be aware, I have books on African art. And with a film be aware of different ethnic groups.
lived my life and will most probably director friend, we have fifty-two
die stateless, although it is true that I hours of film that we have made on Q: How can people see your work?
was born and grew up in Geneva. African art work. So I would like to
complete the film editing and receive I know there are a lot of things to be
When I was younger, of course, it the financial means to carry it out. found on the Internet. In fact, I do
bothered me a little. I considered it as I have very clear ideas on how this not take care about all this, and even
a way of being marginalized and I did should be done: documents in black the photos that are on display have
suffer some injustice. I had difficulty and white; make a montage; include not been taken by me.
in obtaining my papers, visas, travel
authorizations and I always had to As I am in the phone directory,
request some extra documents. The I think it is better that people give me
truth of the matter is obvious -- you a call, and then they come to see what
are not as free to travel as others. I do. I think I'm a pretty outgoing
So what do you do? Well, you tra- person, and for me it's always a plea-
vel much more than anybody else! I sure to talk with people. And I like
must say that if I had been obliged to the fact that people come and visit
obtain a visa or a passport, I certainly me. It may be something that comes
would not have travelled as much as I from my childhood, because I was an
have actually done! only child.
a
Q: You said that you are reaching
the end of your life, but you are
very busy. What are your plans?

Whenever I make a drawing, a pain-
ting, I think that I would like to hold
a show -- that I'll exhibit it here or
there. That is to say, I cannot under-
take large projects unless I know it is
to be presented within an overall fra-
mework.

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