Ruth Belinga Michel Bitimbhe Serge Olivier Fokoua To the Rhythm of Kamer
© A. Takoussa, 2017
In collaboration with VIVA! Art Action and DARE-DARE
The performance art event To the Rhythm of Kamer presents the work of three Cameroonian artists who make the earth’s pulse beat using actions that are based on the realities of their context and environment.
Performances by Ruth Belinga, Michel Bitimbhe, and Serge Olivier Fokoua.
A word from the curator:
Certain performance artists from Cameroon (Kamer) have often said: “I do not consider myself an artist, it is what I do that makes me an artist”. The African context, including the customs, rituals, ceremonies, as well as the language and attitude of the people, is already characterized by a strong performative quality. The essence of the performative act is therefore located in the genes, in the habits, and in human relations of Cameroonians. Creating within this fertile environment, many performance artists did not have to stray far from the everyday to find and give meaning to their artistic practices. In Cameroon, the performative act is first and foremost an expression of identity, a return to the earth. A return to origins. The search for language among the most simple and elementary of things.
The event will take place at DARE-DARE, outdoors, in the triangle formed by Atwater avenue, Greene avenue and Doré street.
© A. Takoussa, 2017
Ruth Belinga is an art historian researching contemporary painting in Cameroon. She is currently pursuing her doctoral research (Ph. D.) at the Université of Dschang while teaching art history at the Institute of Fine Arts Foumban and curating. She has published a number of articles in national and international peer review journals and magazines. She also has a parallel practice in painting, video, and performance art.
Michel Bitimbhe is a Cameroonian performance artist. He studied at the University of Yaoundé II, Soa, and has collaborated with a number of artists working in Douala and Yaoundé. He is known for having created and animated cultural programming for various radio broadcasts in Yaoundé. Since 2008, he is the administrative director of the festival RAVY (Rencontre d’arts visuels de Yaoundé).
Born in 1976 in Cameroon, Serge Olivier Fokoua lives and works in Gatineau, Québec. While creating works primarily in installation and performance art, he touches on all aspects of the visual arts. Strongly interested in experimental practices, he enjoys making site-specific creations that often implicate repurposed objects. He has participated in numerous exhibitions and artistic projects in Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, France, Germany, Poland, Japan, Finland, the USA, and Canada. In 2013, he received a grant for a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, USA.
