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culture and development

Doual’art (founded 1991, Douala, Cameroon)

Doual’art is an independent, non-profit organisation that has revolutionised the art scene in Cameroon. Under the leadership of Marilyn Douala Bell and Didier Schaub, Espace Doual’art presents high quality exhibitions, artists’ talks, debates and conferences. Its workshops and residency programmes attract artists from across the region and abroad, providing opportunity to research, experiment and develop, as well as introductions to international curators. It is a key locus for regional diversity and an information hub for contemporary art in Central Africa.

Doual’art organises inspirational urban interventions, which make art an active part of daily life and directly enhance social development. These include: a pedestrian bridge designed by a local artist to symbolise community solidarity, connecting an isolated poor area to a larger district; the installation of Joseph Soumegné’s monumental sculpture La Nouvelle Liberté at a major crossroads, stimulating heated public debate about what is now the much-loved, unofficial symbol of the city; an architect-designed fountain with a covered seating area, now a popular gathering place and source of community pride; installing ‘arches of memory’ that explain little-known or hidden aspects of local history at specific sites, which have become a living ‘textbook’ for citizens. Doual’art works closely with each relevant community as well as architects, planners, engineers and other urban actors to draw up a project based on local resources and community needs. The organisation’s ongoing research on art and urban development is collected in an invaluable database and made accessible to the public. 

This first Prince Claus Award to Cameroon honours Doual’art for its clearly articulated vision encompassing aesthetic quality and social engagement, for its innovative efforts to raise awareness of citizens’ role in imagining and constructing their city, and for its inspirational impact on the visual arts and on social and cultural development in Central Africa.