Barthelmy Togou, *The Pillars of Missing Immigrants*
Barthelmy Togou, *The Pillars of Missing Immigrants*
Originally designed to support major artworks and to create an artwork that would define the museum's entrance, the central column under I. M. Pei’s Pyramid has had a long history. The most recent of these works is Kohei Nawa’s Throne (installed in 2018). The first instance of this project currently being installed is as part of the current exhibit, Things, by Barthélémy Toguo – The Pillar of the Missing Migrants (2022).
A fresh examination of items and their portrayals.
Barthélémy Toguo’s wonderfully wild, oversized bundles of African textiles are not only visually captivating but also act as a point of contemplation for the theme of expulsion as demonstrated by the long braid of improvised luggage. This creation is not the artist's first creation of such bundles; in past works, he has placed these oversized bundles on top of boats that are overloaded and on large chairs. The reinterpretation of these bundles as part of the exhibition entitled Things: A History of Still Life at the Musée du Louvre provides added meaning to the work by placing it under the Pyramid of that historic museum; thus, the work's impact is enhanced by the way it has been simplified in the location in which it is installed.
illustration
Their own way, these are a reflection of the continual evolution of our present-day history; interwoven with the forced migrations of refugees all over the globe who risk their own lives for a place to live. Is this a distant echo of the slave trade? What is without question is that they are a perfect symbol of the dangerous paths taken by men, women and children fleeing from war, starvation, poverty and environmental disasters. The Louvre Pyramid is the transparent display case for these conspicuously unclaimed bundles. The arranged bundles are around a central mast that serves as the artist’s means of erecting a rescue ladder, a ladder which has been placed against the historic nightmare from which he is still trying to wake.
An artist characterized by beauty, emotion, and active engagement.
Barthélémy Toguo is a talented artist from Cameroon who demonstrates excellence in creating art that combines beauty, feeling, and social engagement. Toguo was educated at École des Beaux-Arts d'Abidjan, École des Beaux-Arts de Grenoble, and Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. He now splits his time between Paris, France, and Bandjoun, Cameroon, where he supports alternative ways of living, encourages discussion about art from both the northern and southern hemispheres, and works to return things that have been constantly taken from Africa by those in the northern hemisphere. Although Toguo's work can be seen as political, he is looking to develop a new type of art that reflects how he sees the current state of the world and what is happening today.
An art historian has published a written piece about the history of art by Laurence Bertrand Dorléac. Barthélémy Toguo's The Pillar of Missing Migrants is on display under Pyramid until January 23, 2023. Displayed under HdM GALLERY.
Barthélémy Toguo’s The Pillar of the Missing Migrants will be visible beneath the Pyramid until 23January 2023.
With the support of HdM GALLERY.