Page 3 - Catalogue Everyday Heroes - Daniel Onguene - June 2021 - p.p.

Adventure Between the Ruins
by Sylvain Sankalé

The period of independence, some sixty years ago, saw the
creation of the first fine arts schools on the continent, the first
individual and group exhibitions, festivals and other events. The
euphoria of this freedom, at times hard-fought, the nationalist
movements, the return to roots and origins, all this enthusiastic
speech was transferred into the works that we admire from
Dakar to Yaoundé via Brazzaville! Africa was beautiful, it could
finally mix its voice with the concert of nations, its identity
became a source of pride and everything had to reflect this
faith in a better tomorrow that would inevitably sing.

A generation later, many cries of joy have died down, disputes
have arisen, African unity has been shattered and the march
towards development raises questions in all segments of the
population. The rural exodus causes its multiple ravages,
which are multiplied tenfold by a general atmosphere of laxity
and fatalism. The countryside hit by all manner of human and
natural calamities is being emptied in favor of cities which were
not designed to absorb such large population growth.

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