The idolisation of the masculine image has long been present across different genres of cinema, from westerns and thrillers to action films and beyond. Through my ongoing curatorial project, Golden Age: Masculinity and Cinema, my intention is to explore this enduring phenomena by examining classic and auteur films against the work of contemporary artists through multimedia interventions. Indulgent yet critical, these surveys demystify and expand on representations of masculinity, self-presentation and preservation in our present society.

The project begins with Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, an exhibition of the video work ‘Bicep’ by Nigerian artist, stylist and costume designer Daniel Obasi in dialogue with seminal films that informs and inspires his avant-garde practice. Taking its name from the title of a film by Pedro Almodovar, the exhibition – on view at Something, a new non profit art space in Abidjan founded by Anna-Alix Koffi – challenges masculine associations of toughness and muscular prowess.

The aesthetic tradition of peacocking is brilliantly lampooned in the short film. The male obsession with developing their entire physique, especially their biceps, is rooted in a lust for virility and sex appeal. There is the satisfaction of watching one’s body transform through fitness routines or from adolescence into adulthood. Desirability, strength and agility all come to mind when one thinks of a man’s bulging bicep, as do phrases in popular culture such as ‘check those guns’.

‘Bicep’ was originally one of 50 experimental short films commissioned by Emma Dabiri and Nick Knight for Show Studio’s 2022 Bodies of Knowledge project, which aimed to challenge how the body is represented and imagined in visual culture and fashion image making. Obasi’s surreal, witty contribution comprises a montage of scenes of young men moving and posing and throws a soft, delicate light on behaviour that is often perceived as hard or tough. It also speaks intimately to Obasi’s wider practice, which is whimsical yet powerful, using the language of fashion to tell imaginative and youth-driven African narratives.

In recent years, I have become increasingly interested in experimental and time-based works (sound, video, performance, digitally-generated), particularly by artists from, based in or inspired by the Global South. I find these practices inclusive and contemporaneous with how they speak to pertinent discourses, social imaginaries and everyday realities of many communities and ecosystems in Africa. So, when considering how classic films are brought back into public consciousness through memes and social media, are there other possibilities for audiences to engage with them beyond their aesthetic relevance?

Fellow cinephile Tobi Akinde says: “These films embrace knowledge as a shared process because of their grassroots distribution models. Plus, they provide sociological and anthropological lenses to engage with temporalities in cinema and visual arts. Their narrative patterns, improvisation of reality and the very important aspect of active spectatorship in their practices speak to age-long nomadic theatrical practices. Simply stated, it is our responsibility as creatives to not allow obscurity to define artistry.”

It is imperative then, that more artist-led conversations are amplified and that they occur in independent spaces instead of only being facilitated by or within cultural institutions. This show, which also marks Obasi’s first ever exhibition in Côte d’Ivoire, finds a special home here, and one I hope will allow for robust dialogue.

Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, featuring Daniel Obasi and curated by Bayo Hassan Bello, is on view now at Something, Blockhaus, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. 

Read Nataal’s story on Daniel Obasi’s photo book, Beautiful Resistance, here.