Towards a Pedagogy of Dreaming. The Work of Cameroonian Art Activists Chantal Edie and Zacharie Ngnogue

Abstract (English)

How to relearn dreaming and reclaim shared futures in a social reality marked by repression, state failure and war? This presentation introduces the works of the Cameroonian photographers, multi-media artists, and artistic directors Chantal Edie and Zacharie Ngnogue, and situates them within the vivid art environment of the coastal Cameroonian metropole of Douala. It contributes to ongoing research on artivism and activist art practices across the globe and on the specific role of artivism in Cameroonian society. Based on in-depth conversations with the artists and a research visit in Douala in June 2023, we discuss how the artist duo is mobilizing its artistic work, among others, in the struggle for freedom in an oppressive regime and against the long-term effects of colonial damage. Following the career of the two artists, we sketch out different fields of activist intervention through art and introduce selected artivist projects by Edie and Ngnogue as duo Togetherness, which deal with the domestic war in Cameroon, the failure of healthcare, and the oppression under the authoritarian rule. Further explored is the community art space “The Forest Creative Loft”, founded by Edie and Ngnogue in 2019 as a third space to support creatives, connect urban communities and prototype new directions for society.