The Ivorian photographer's latest exhibition captures the majestic nature of Appolonia
An ode to his adopted home since leaving Abidjan in 2019, photographer Nuits Balnéaires captures the essence of Appolonia through Scent of Appolonia, an exhibition staged at the Hotel Particulier in Cocody in collaboration with conceptual events agency, Pulp Concepts. A coastal area stretching from Axim, Ghana, to Grand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, the region is home to the N'Zima tribe. Nuits Balnéaires, also known as Dadi, has created an intriguing travelogue in the form of a series of beautiful photographs and a short film featuring Marc, a young Ivorian model whose statuesque silhouette effortlessly blends with the romantic landscape of luscious mangroves and tranquil waters. We had a chat with the fast-emerging artist about these new works.
What's the idea behind this new exhibit?
The idea came from Elie Kacoutié of Pulp Concepts. I have always enjoyed the idea of creating exhibitions in unconventional spaces in order to bring my stories closer to people. Hotel Particulier is a place I appreciate for its elegance and location in the heart of old Cocody. Scent of Appolonia presents the context in which I live today. It reflects my questions, my vulnerability, my insecurities, my fears, my doubts, my dreams, my values, my quest for balance and freedom for which I have exiled myself to in Grand-Bassam. It is a work through which I pay tribute to Appolonia for all that it offers me while opening a dialogue on profound existential questions that I cannot carry alone. Nestled in a cabin especially made for the occasion, the installation reveals fragments of a universe populated with references to this land that inspires me.
What is it that intrigues you about Appolonia?
This is where the first contacts, exchanges and treaties took place between the settlers and the rulers of these lands. These exchanges have led to the Ivorian civilisation we know today. My research aims at trying to understand all the mechanisms of this transformation, to define my history and offer a visual imagination through my various works. I use the name Appolonia to question this century-long temporal dimension and to break down the borders inherited from the colonial era.
How does it inspire you?
The context is different from Abidjan, where I've always lived. The relationship to time, to the other and to oneself make me question things I had never pondered before. It's a context that allows me to hear my inner voice more and refocus on the stories that really matter to me.
Nature, water and plants are recurring themes in you work. Can you explain why?
I grew up between the city and the village. My love for these elements was born from these regular immersions in nature, thanks to my parents. My journey in Grand-Bassam has allowed me to be more in touch with nature again. I try to sublimate and sanctify this through my work because it seems urgent to change the way we see the beaches and lagoons of Grand-Bassam gradually turning into a dump. At a local level, I support the actions of two organisations, Ne Pollue Pas Ma Plage and Green Ivory, which respectively work to clean up beaches and raise awareness among young people about environmental issues. I think that beyond artistic creation, we need to be truly involved and support concrete initiatives.
You decided to show your work in a new, round format. Why?
My idea was to amplify the meditative atmosphere and the feeling of immersion in these universes through this format.
In what other ways has living and working in Grand-Bassam influenced you?
Artists and craftsmen abound here, and there are endless possibilities for collaboration and experimentation. My presence allows me to explore mediums that I had difficulty accessing before, and to create with greater fluidity. It is a land of real inspiration.
What are your next projects?
We are in the process of finalising my project about the seven N'zima families, called The Power of Alliance. It will be presented this year and was developed during my fellowship with World Press Photo Foundation. It has enriched me deeply on a human and creative level, and I have learned a lot about shared values within the N'zima community. I am currently setting up my first studio in the heart of the village. I would like to make it a space for research and experimentation for the visual arts.
Also NOMMOS, the duo I've founded with Bayo Hassan Bello, is the winner of the Goethe Institute's 2020 Call for Proposals and the Prince Claus Fund, which support cultural and artistic responses to environmental change. This is thanks to our project Death Is the Space That Nature Needs to be Alive, an experimental feature film that explores the cycle of life and death. It will be presented at the end of this year.
Scent of Appolonia by Nuits Balnéaires is on view at Hotel Particulier, Cocody, Abidjan, throughout February 2021