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Africa

Africa: Malam, an Artist Taking the Idea of a ‘Collection’ to a New Level

todayOctober 21, 2024

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Made up of hundreds of discarded toys, household items, broken cables and bits of plastic, Cameroonian artist Malam’s giant head-shaped sculptures are deceptively playful. Invited to the Also Known as Africa contemporary art and design fair (AKAA) in Paris, the artist says his giant installations are in fact a harsh critique of society’s obsessive consumerism and disregard for the environment.

Upon arriving at the fair, visitors are immediately confronted with a huge mass of mixed materials in the shape of a head. The eye sockets are computer screens filming people passing by. The face has a plastic toilet seat for the nose and a car bumper for a mouth.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure? Yes and no, explains Cameroonian artist Malam, one of nearly 100 artists represented at the 9th edition of AKAA – ‘Also Known as Africa’ art and design fair, which wrapped up after three days on Sunday.

“I call this piece ‘Emergency Therapy’ because the way I see it, there’s an urgent need to reconsider our habits, our daily routines with regards to consumerism,” Malam told RFI.

Two companion sculptures, slightly smaller, were placed at different locations within the fair. “We’re watching you,” the large faces seemed to be saying.

Originally from Douala, Malam has been working for many years in a workshop in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris and is represented by the 193 Gallery. His works have been displayed at numerous art fairs over the years, including the Dakar Biennale, Johannesburg art fair and Art Basel in Switzerland.

His creative approach gives the notion of “collection” a whole new meaning. His works are made of junk that was left out for the garbage trucks. Sadly, the supply is endless, he says.

Everyday objects fill the space in between the long, coloured tubes that twist around the whole piece, providing the ears, chin and back of the head. Barbie dolls and trucks peek out from the chaos. Toys, Malam says, make up a sizeable quantity of discarded objects.

“I don’t choose the objects, they choose me,” he says, adding that the works are by nature “evolutive” and that “any object can find its place in this piece. There’s no rule”.

He says incorporating screens into the work is a way of provoking a form of self-awareness, which is sorely needed in today’s world.

Instead of filming selfies, it might be time to really look at our relationship to ourselves and our earth, he suggests.

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