A retrospective exhibition of the works of the painter Mouhamadou Ndoye Douts is organized at the National Gallery of Dakar to pay tribute to this figure of contemporary Senegalese Art. The exhibition, inaugurated last Saturday, is part of the “In” program of the 15th Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar. Couple O. SOW –
The National Art Gallery of Dakar is the attraction for visual art enthusiasts as part of this 15th Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar. Indeed, a beautiful tribute is paid to Mouhamadou Ndoye Douts, painter, director and screenwriter, who died on June 9, 2023. This well-deserved tribute is crowned by a moving exhibition of 37 works from his workshop located in his home in Djender, a village Lébou who saw him born. Stamped “Hommage”, the exhibition, presented by art critic Silvain Sankalé, shows a beautiful range of artistic expressions ranging from painting on canvas to pencil and/or acrylic, including pieces of films which have been exploited, in particular his animated film which is a marvel of sensitivity. Graduating from his class at the National School of Arts in 1999, Douts Ndoye, his artist name and posthumous godfather of this biennial, made himself known thanks to his paintings inspired by the architecture of the populous neighborhoods of la Gueule Tapée, from the Medina where he lived for a long time. It should be remembered that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, during the official opening ceremony, welcomed the choice of the organizers of this edition to pay tribute to the late artist Mouhamadou Ndoye Douts, who died in June 2023 at the age of 50. “Douts, called so young, a year ago, to the Lord, particularly distinguished himself within the community through acts of kindness and solidarity, including the construction of classrooms and the provision of equipment and of consumables to health establishments, among others,” he testified.
“A burst of life”
Presenting the exhibition, curator Silvain Sankalé clarified that it is not a sad exhibition, nor a tomb, but it is a burst of life of the late Mouhamadou Ndoye Douts. “We wanted to make an exhibition that resembled it. It is not a sad exhibition, it is not a tomb, it is a burst of life, as he himself was. And all the colors that are there clearly prove that he is still with us, and that is what we tried to reflect,” explained Silvain Sankalé. For the art critic, by paying tribute to Douts through this exhibition, they tried to redesign the gallery space which is much larger, but which they made more intimate, joyful and sparkling. “For those who knew Douts, we know that he was someone who had an extraordinary sense of humor, very kind, always smiling. And that’s what we tried to reflect in this exhibition. And all the pieces that are there are pieces that were in his workshop. The cartels are empty because, precisely, he did not give titles to these works. And it’s also a wink that would certainly have pleased Douts,” said the exhibition curator.
“Douts, the most present absentee from the Biennale”
The scenography of the exhibition piece is a creation of the Senegalese architect living in the United States, Khady Kassé. Indeed, during the opening, tears were also shed. The exhibition aroused as much interest for passers-by at 19 Avenue Hassan II, but also artists, relatives and friends. They do not fail to stop to look at the works of this emblematic figure of the Senegalese artistic scene. “It’s a great moment of emotion, of sensitivity, because we wanted to pay tribute to a great man: Mamadou Ndoye Douts. There are a lot of tears. And where he is today, he should be very proud. We are very proud of him, proud to pay tribute to an emblematic figure of the Senegalese, African and global artistic scene,” says Mariéme Ba, Secretary General of the biennial. By ideally paying tribute to Douts, she says, “it’s keeping good memories, a very beautiful idea of his approach, his conception and his commitment to life and around his community. We reiterate our thanks to his entire family. And there will certainly be other tributes to Douts, because he is the most absent during this biennial.
