Founded in 1991 by Marilyn Douala Manga Bell and Didier Schaub, doual’art is a center for contemporary art and a laboratory for experimental urban practices in African cities. Its triennial festival, SUD – the Urban Salon of Douala, reflects on the role of art in comprehending the history and as a creator of meaning in the city.
The 4th edition of SUD will be held from 5th to 10th of December 2017, and will mark the 10 year anniversary of the festival.
The preparations for SUD2017 started in 2015. The work has been directed and monitored by a scientific committee bringing together various skill-sets (a pedagogue, psychologist, curator, anthropologist, lawyer, socio-cultural mediator) and the team of doual’art.
A in-depth study of textbooks dedicated to citizenship and education, accompanied by an inquiry anthropological perspective on people’s perception of rights lead to the production of an educational textbook on the principles of civic society. The catalog of SUD2017 will be published in 2018, accompanied by a documentary film.
The projects carried by the 16 Cameroonian and international artists selected by the curator of SUD2017, Cécile Bourne-Farrell, will be presented in an exhibition entitled “La Place de l’Humain”. It will consists of projects realized with participation of various communities of Douala, including four schools.
Simultaneously, a series of public programs, including Ars & Urbis convened by the philosopher and journalist Séverine Kodjo-Grandvaux and roundtables chaired by curator Elvira Dyangani Ose will allow reflection on the themes raised by the artistic projects.
Finally, the “OFF” section will offer an opportunity to live and discover the local art scene to thousands of festival-goers, through an array of artistic activities around the city: exhibitions in galleries (MAM, Square of Artists, Delegation of the Ministry of Arts and of Culture) or in the street (Bali), open house workshops (Bonapriso), and performances in different neighborhoods.
For more details see the FULL PROGRAM (in French).