Goddy Leye
Encyclopedia
Goddy Leye was a Cameroonian artist and intellectual.
His work is focused on videos, installations
, conceptual art and theoretical contributions. He is the founder of the art centre ArtBakery
in Bonendale and he is the curator
and promoter of site-specific art and international projects. His role is central in the cultural and art scene in Cameroon and at the international level.
. He obtains his diploma in a bilingual high school in 1989 and he studies African literature and philology at the University of Yaoundé
between 1986 and 1991; in 1990 he obtain his master in African literature.
His artistic training starts in 1987 with the artist and art historian Pascal Kenfack in Yaoundé until 1992. He continues his training in 1994 at the National art institute in Bamako
, in 1997 at the ZKM Karlsruhe Centre for Art and Media in Germany, in 199 at 18th Street Arts Complex in Santa Monica
California
and between 2002 and 2002 at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten
in Amsterdam
. In The Netherlands he co-funds and he becomes member of the Rijksakademie
International Network (RAIN), a network of artists who support contemporary cultural practices in their countries of origin. Specifically for his interest in supporting art practices, Goddy Leye moves back to Douala
in 2002 to create in Bonendale the art centre ArtBakery
, devoted specifically to facilitate artistic training and exchanges among artists and to support multimedia, installations, video and digital art.
In 2002 he is the curator of the project Bessengue City, a workshop and a series of site-specific art projects in the neighbourhood Bessengue in Douala; the project involves Goddy Leye, James Beckett, Hartanto, Jesus Palomino and the local community. In 2006 he promotes and participates in Exit Tour. In 2007 contributed to the Ars&Urbis Workshop organised in Douala by doual'art
for the preparation of the SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala and he is in residency at the Blachère Foundation in Apt. In 2008 he is in residency at the cultural space Gasworks in London; in 2009 he participates at the project Image Art After in dialogue with Florence Ayisi and he contributes at the Cairo Residency Symposium.
Goddy Leye's work received prizes from UNESCO
, Rockefeller Foundation
and the Dutch Foreign Ministry of Affairs. As artist and intellectual he is involved in numerous expert committees; he is a member of the think tank of the Africa Centre in Cape Town and he is an ambassador of CAN Creative Africa Network.
His work is focussed on memory, African postcolonialism
and on the construction of history. More specifically the artist expresses himself with multimedia works, videos and video installations.
Through time, he starts to be involved more and more in the production of projects both in Cameroon and at an international level. He contributes to publications, he produced and curates site-specific artworks and he founds the centre ArtBakery
. The centre offers tools and an infrastructure to artists interested in multimedia productions and it is characterised by an active role in training. Goddy Leye is considered a key artist and intellectual by Cameroonina artists of his generation and younger.
Goddy Leye expresses his attention to the ways history is told and knowledge is transmitted and forgotten through his art works, writings and his active involvement in conferences and think tanks. His theorical contributions focusses on the structure of cultural institutions, on network systems, on the artistic and cultural practices and on urban transformations.
. He actively supports the creation of the magazine DiARTgonale founded by the artist Achilleka.
He is the founder and director of the centre ArtBakery
, started in 2002. He is the curator of the project Bessengue City organised in the neighbourhood of Bessengue in Douala
in 2002 and he is the promoter in 2006 of Exit Tour.
His work is focused on videos, installations
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, conceptual art and theoretical contributions. He is the founder of the art centre ArtBakery
ArtBakery
ArtBakery is an art centre based in the village of Bonendale a few kilometers from Douala and founded by Goddy Leye. The centre offers trainings for emerging artists , journalists and residency programs for young artists...
in Bonendale and he is the curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
and promoter of site-specific art and international projects. His role is central in the cultural and art scene in Cameroon and at the international level.
Life and career
Goddy Leye (real name Godfried Kadjo) is born the 24th of November 1965 in MboudaMbouda
Mbouda is the divisional capital of the Bamboutos division, Western region of Cameroon. Mbouda is located between two major cities Bafoussam and Bamenda which are respectively the capital cities of the west and North-West regions of Cameroon....
. He obtains his diploma in a bilingual high school in 1989 and he studies African literature and philology at the University of Yaoundé
University of Yaoundé
The University of Yaoundé is a leading university in Cameroon, located in Yaoundé.It was built with the help of France and opened in 1962 as the Federal University of Yaoundé, dropping the "Federal" in 1972 when the country was reorganized....
between 1986 and 1991; in 1990 he obtain his master in African literature.
His artistic training starts in 1987 with the artist and art historian Pascal Kenfack in Yaoundé until 1992. He continues his training in 1994 at the National art institute in Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, in 1997 at the ZKM Karlsruhe Centre for Art and Media in Germany, in 199 at 18th Street Arts Complex in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and between 2002 and 2002 at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten
Rijksakademie
The Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten is a two-year residency for visual artists, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Funded by the Dutch government, residents are granted a stipend and are allotted a personal studio in the former military barracks building in which the Rijksakademie is housed...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. In The Netherlands he co-funds and he becomes member of the Rijksakademie
Rijksakademie
The Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten is a two-year residency for visual artists, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Funded by the Dutch government, residents are granted a stipend and are allotted a personal studio in the former military barracks building in which the Rijksakademie is housed...
International Network (RAIN), a network of artists who support contemporary cultural practices in their countries of origin. Specifically for his interest in supporting art practices, Goddy Leye moves back to Douala
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
in 2002 to create in Bonendale the art centre ArtBakery
ArtBakery
ArtBakery is an art centre based in the village of Bonendale a few kilometers from Douala and founded by Goddy Leye. The centre offers trainings for emerging artists , journalists and residency programs for young artists...
, devoted specifically to facilitate artistic training and exchanges among artists and to support multimedia, installations, video and digital art.
In 2002 he is the curator of the project Bessengue City, a workshop and a series of site-specific art projects in the neighbourhood Bessengue in Douala; the project involves Goddy Leye, James Beckett, Hartanto, Jesus Palomino and the local community. In 2006 he promotes and participates in Exit Tour. In 2007 contributed to the Ars&Urbis Workshop organised in Douala by doual'art
Doual'art
doual'art is a no profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities....
for the preparation of the SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala and he is in residency at the Blachère Foundation in Apt. In 2008 he is in residency at the cultural space Gasworks in London; in 2009 he participates at the project Image Art After in dialogue with Florence Ayisi and he contributes at the Cairo Residency Symposium.
Goddy Leye's work received prizes from UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
and the Dutch Foreign Ministry of Affairs. As artist and intellectual he is involved in numerous expert committees; he is a member of the think tank of the Africa Centre in Cape Town and he is an ambassador of CAN Creative Africa Network.
Work
Goddy Leye starts working as an artist in 1992..His work is focussed on memory, African postcolonialism
Postcolonialism
Post-colonialism is a specifically post-modern intellectual discourse that consists of reactions to, and analysis of, the cultural legacy of colonialism...
and on the construction of history. More specifically the artist expresses himself with multimedia works, videos and video installations.
Through time, he starts to be involved more and more in the production of projects both in Cameroon and at an international level. He contributes to publications, he produced and curates site-specific artworks and he founds the centre ArtBakery
ArtBakery
ArtBakery is an art centre based in the village of Bonendale a few kilometers from Douala and founded by Goddy Leye. The centre offers trainings for emerging artists , journalists and residency programs for young artists...
. The centre offers tools and an infrastructure to artists interested in multimedia productions and it is characterised by an active role in training. Goddy Leye is considered a key artist and intellectual by Cameroonina artists of his generation and younger.
Goddy Leye expresses his attention to the ways history is told and knowledge is transmitted and forgotten through his art works, writings and his active involvement in conferences and think tanks. His theorical contributions focusses on the structure of cultural institutions, on network systems, on the artistic and cultural practices and on urban transformations.
Videos and installations
- Na Lingi Yo, 2007.
- Sankofa River, 1997.
- We Are the World, video, 2006.
- Elections, UCA project, 2007.
- Honey Moon.
- Avis sur Visage, video installation, 2007.
- The Beautiful Beast, video installation.
- Stickers and Wall, Alexandria, Egypt, 2004.
- Dancing With the Moon, video installation, 2003.
- Reel Location, video, 2002.
- The Walking Mirror, video, 2001.
- Visa-je, video installation, 2000.
- The Voice of the Moon, video installation.
- Collaboration with Collectif Auto Da Fe, No Art On Two Dollars A Day, video. Video made from the performance made during SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala 2007.
Solo exhibitions
- Fiction ou realite?, Fri'Art, Fribourg, 2003 * Dancing with the Moon, doual'artDoual'artdoual'art is a no profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities....
, Douala, 2003 * Goddy Leye, Icba Gallery, Salvador de Bahia, 2001 - Sankofa Blues, doual'artDoual'artdoual'art is a no profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities....
, Douala, 2000 - Sankofa Blues, Goethe institute, Yaoundé, 1999
- Behind the Scenes, Electronic Cafe International, Santa Monica, the USA/on Internet, 1999
- Sankofa River, doual'artDoual'artdoual'art is a no profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities....
, Douala, 1999 - Sankofa, French Cultural Centre, Douala, Douala, 1999
- Sankofa Video, Goethe institute, Yaoundé, 1999
- Fouilles Sauvages, doual'artDoual'artdoual'art is a no profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities....
, Douala, 1996 - Bois Sacré, Goethe institute, Yaoundé, 1995
- Bois Sacré, Ifa, 1995
Group exhibitions
Goddy Leye's work is exhibited in numerous festivals and international exhibitions.- Breaking News. Contemporary Photography from the Middle East and Africa, Ex Ospedale Sant’Agostino, Modena, 2010
- SUD PARIS, Maison Revue NoireRevue NoireRevue Noire is a specialist publisher of books and web material relating to African contemporary art and culture, based in France. From 1991 to 2001, Editions Revue Noire published the printed quarterly magazine Revue Noire...
, Paris, 2010 - Cameroonian Touch.2 - doual'art, Douala, 2010
- This is now 1 & 2 - L’appartement 22, 1rst Johannesburg Art Fair, 2088 and Rabat, 2009
- Prêt-à-pARTager, Mode-Fotografie-Workshop, curated by IFA Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Dakar, 2008 (touring exhibition)
- Africa Remix, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, 2007
- Ba Mama, Galerie Mam, Douala, 2007
- Contemporary Vision, The World Bank, Yaoundé, 2007
- Africa Remix, Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2006
- Exit Tour, DoualaDoualaDouala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
, CotonouCotonou-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
, LoméLoméLomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
, AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, OuagadougouOuagadougouOuagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, BamakoBamakoBamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, DakarDakarDakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, 2006, promoted by ArtBakeryArtBakeryArtBakery is an art centre based in the village of Bonendale a few kilometers from Douala and founded by Goddy Leye. The centre offers trainings for emerging artists , journalists and residency programs for young artists...
. - Africa Remix, Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany, 2004
- New, Netwerk galerij, Aalst, 2003
- Unesco laureates, 18th street arts complex, Santa Monica, USA, 2003
- Post-border land, SBK, Amsterdam, 2003
- Nuits métis, la Ciota, 2003
- Electromediascope, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art , Kansas City, 2002
- Slow, Shedhalle, Zurich, Switzerland, 2002
- Rendez-vous at Xiamen, Chinese European Art centre, Xiamen, 2002
- Nuits métis, la Ciota, 2002
- Videoformes 2002, Clermont-Ferrand, 2002. Presentation of the video The Walking Mirror.
- Right 2 fight, Sarah Lawrence College, New York, 2002
- Sao Paulo Biennial, Blick Wechsel, São Paulo, Brazil, 2002
- Playtime, Johannesburg, 2002
- Bili BidjockaBili BidjockaBili Bidjocka is a contemporary Cameroonian artist best known for his installations and sculptures. He was born in Douala, Cameroon, lives in France since the age of 12, and works in Paris, Brussels and New York.- Biography :...
/ Goddy Leye, Espace Doual’Art, Douala, Cameroon, 2001 - BlickWechsel, IFA-Galerie, Berlin, 2001
- Lucarne, Goethe-Institut, Yaounde, Cameroon, 2001
- BlickWechsel, Bonn and IFA-Galerie Stuttgart, 2000
- Total Global, Museum fur Gegenwartskunst, Bale, 2000
- Havana Biennial, Havana, 2000
- Dak'Art 2000, Biennale de l’Art contemporain africain, Dakar BiennaleDakar BiennaleThe Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art - Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal...
, Dakar, 2000 - South Meets West, Berne, 2000
- Boulev'Art, Cotonou, 2000
- Sept des cents derniers jours, Espace Doual’art, Douala, 2000
- Lille 2000, Lille, 2000
- South Meets West, Accra, 1999
- Dream, Espace Doual'art, Douala, 1999
- Triennale der Kleinplastik, Stuttgart, 1998
- Dak'art 98, Dakar BiennaleDakar BiennaleThe Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art - Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal...
, Dakar, 1998 - Fenac 98 Festival national de l’Art et de la Culture, Ebolowa, 1998
- L’Art entre Tradition et Globalisation, Goethe-Institut, Yaoundé, 1997
- Le Kwatt, Espace Doual’art, Douala, 1997
- Babil 2, Espace Doual’art, Douala, 1997
- Resource Art Cameroon, Goethe-Institute, Yaoundé, 1996
- Cameroon Art, Galeria Arte Mondo, Sarrano, 1996
- Africa Unite, Galerie Africréa, Yaoundé, 1996
- Nouvelles Tendances de la Peinture camerounaise, Galerie Africréa, Yaoundé, 1996
- Babil, Goethe-Institute, Yaoundé, 1995
- Taxi-couleurs, ERBA Ecole régionale des Beaux-Arts, Angers, 1995
- Fenac 94, Douala, 1994
- Taxi-Couleurs, CCF-INA, Bamako, 1994
- Festac 88 National Festival of Arts and Culture, Douala, 1988
Theoretic contributions and curatorial work
Goddy Leye contributes to publications and magazines such as Chimurenga magazineChimurenga magazine
Chimurenga is a publication, of arts, culture and politics from and about Africa and its diasporas, founded and edited by Ntone Edjabe. Both the title Chimurenga and the content capture the connection between African cultures and politics on the continent and beyond.- History :Chimurenga was...
. He actively supports the creation of the magazine DiARTgonale founded by the artist Achilleka.
He is the founder and director of the centre ArtBakery
ArtBakery
ArtBakery is an art centre based in the village of Bonendale a few kilometers from Douala and founded by Goddy Leye. The centre offers trainings for emerging artists , journalists and residency programs for young artists...
, started in 2002. He is the curator of the project Bessengue City organised in the neighbourhood of Bessengue in Douala
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
in 2002 and he is the promoter in 2006 of Exit Tour.
Further reading
- ArtealCentro 2010 - Visible. Where art leaves its own field and becomes visible as part of something else, CittadellarteCittadellarteCittadellarte is an art and creativity laboratory founded in 1998 by the artist Michelangelo Pistoletto in a disused textile mill by the river Cervo in Biella, Italy.-References:*...
, Biella, 2010.