Doual'art

Doual'art is a non-profit cultural organization and contemporary art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon. It is dedicated to new urban practices of African cities, focusing on the intersection of contemporary art and urban transformation. Rather than maintaining a traditional permanent collection, the institution functions as a laboratory for temporary exhibitions and site-specific urban interventions. It uses artistic creation as a trigger for social change, a paradigm of development, and a tool to fight indigence and poverty. The Prince Claus Fund has recognized it for revolutionizing the art scene in Cameroon and for its innovative methods of increasing civic awareness regarding urban development.

Marilyn Douala Bell and Didier Schaub established doual'art in 1991 as a non-profit organization without a fixed location, aiming to produce site-specific artworks across different neighborhoods. The organization was officially registered in 1992. Initially, the founders acted as mediators between communities, public administrations, and international organizations on structural projects. Dissatisfied with the limitations of this role, they developed a participatory approach that integrated artistic work with freedom of expression and communal aspirations. This methodology culminated in the 1996 production of the landmark public sculpture La Nouvelle Liberté. In 2005, doual'art launched Ars&Urbis, a series of encounters for critical reflection on art and urban transformations. The first Ars&Urbis international symposium laid the groundwork for the SUD Salon Urbain de Douala, a triennial public art event first held in December 2007, with subsequent editions in 2010 and 2013. Didier Schaub served as artistic director until his death in 2014, after which Marilyn Douala Bell continued as president.

Doual'art does not maintain fixed permanent exhibitions in the traditional sense. Instead, it operates as a contemporary art laboratory centered on temporary exhibitions and urban interventions. Its program explores urban, social, and environmental themes, promoting both emerging and established Cameroonian artists while inviting international artists to Douala to bridge local and global contemporary practices. Over the years, the organization has built a fund of works originating from artist residencies and the SUD triennial. Many of these pieces have transitioned from temporary installations to permanent public artworks, effectively transforming the city into an open-air gallery. By 2022, doual'art had produced over 80 public artworks across 12 neighborhoods in Douala.

The most famous work produced by doual'art is La Nouvelle Liberté by Joseph-Francis Sumégné, created in 1996. This monumental 12-meter-high sculpture, made from scrap metal and recycled materials, stands at the Deïdo roundabout and has become a symbol of Douala. Other significant permanent urban installations include Face à l'eau by Salifou Lindou, a 2010 installation of five vertical panels in wood, metal, and colored sheet metal situated on the banks of the Wouri River at Bonamouti-Deïdo. Hervé Yamguen created Les mots écrits de New Bell, six mural installations in the New Bell neighborhood using neon, tile mosaics, and various materials to render local memory and realities visible. La Colonne Pascale by Pascale Marthine Tayou, installed at the Shell New Bell roundabout in 2010, is a totem of 76 stacked casseroles and 38 lids paying homage to African women. L'Arbre à Palabres by Frédéric Keiff, produced in 2007, is a pyramid-shaped sculpture over 5 meters high and 7 meters in circumference serving as a community meeting place.

Operating without a fixed venue for its first years, doual'art established a permanent home in 1995 with the creation of Espace doual'art. This exhibition space is located in the former cinema of the Palace of the Douala Kings, also known as the Pagode, a historic building in the Bonanjo neighborhood at Place du Gouvernement. The property belongs to the Douala Bell family. Cameroonian architect and designer Danièle Diwouta-Kotto restored and adapted the structure, creating offices, exhibition halls, a cafeteria, and an outside shaded garden terrace. Over time, the center was enhanced with a specialized library and documentation center open to the public, alongside a production studio. The venue hosts an average of 8 to 15 exhibitions annually, alongside conferences, workshops, performances, and screenings.

Espace doual'art is situated in the Bonanjo neighborhood of Douala, Cameroon, at Place du Gouvernement. The institution is an independent non-profit organization led by President Marilyn Douala Bell. It develops its activities and projects with the support of international grant-makers, sponsors, and partners, including the Prince Claus Fund, Mondriaan Foundation, Hivos, ArtsCollaboratory, Doen Foundation, ICU Art Projects, and Enough Room for Space. In 2009, the organization received the Prince Claus Prize. Doual'art is part of international networks such as Artfactories and ArtsCollaboratory, and it is featured in the New Art Spaces Museum. The Espace doual'art serves as both an exhibition center and a resource center for artistic and urban activities, maintaining a team of five permanent employees and collaborating with a rotating roster of artists, designers, architects, curators, authors, and researchers.