West African film screening with artist Q&A

Join us for an exciting evening as we kick off the event at 6:00 PM with the opening of the doors and the bar (cash bar available). You’ll have time to grab a drink and mingle before the official start.

At 6:30 PM, the event will begin with opening remarks from Alan Nobili, AFNO Executive Director,  who will introduce the evening and set the stage for the activities ahead.

At 6:35 PM, we’ll screen a captivating French film, presented with English subtitles, for a duration of 55 minutes. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this cinematic experience.

Following the film, at 7:40 PM, we’ll dive into a Discussion & Q&A session. The session will be kicked off by Amanda Maple, NOMA curator, who will introduce the speakers. Hervé will then share more about the project featured in the film, providing deeper insight and context. After that, we’ll open the floor for questions, allowing the audience to engage directly with the speakers.

We look forward to seeing you there for an enriching and lively evening!

Film synopsis:
Visages de masques est un film documentaire expérimental qui met en lumière un projet artistique du même nom (Visages de masques) porté par l’artiste plasticien de nationalité Camerounaise Hervé Youmbi. Ce film nous convit à la découverte d’une démarche de création singulière à parti d’une écriture filmique expérimentale qui allie film documentaire et vidéo d’art. Visages de masques nous convie à la découverte d’une production de masques hybrides destinés à enrichir les confréries de l’ouest Cameroun, puis par extension de l’Afrique subsaharienne. Le film met en exergue les défis et la riche collaboration qui rendent possible la réalisation des masques ambivalent qui opèrent des mouvements incessants entre la scène de l’art contemporain global et l’univers des cérémonies rituelles en Afrique. Il est à noter que ce projet que dépeint le film interroge l’impact de la colonisation sur la production des masques rituels et cultuel en Afrique aujourd’hui. Il se dresse aussi contre les clichés et les catégorisations dans lesquelles l’on enferme souvent les productions de signes et de sens en provenance d’Afrique. Réalisé par l’artiste plasticien Hervé Youmbi auteur du projet visages de masques, ce film est riche en récit d’experts du secteur de l’art visuel à propos des défis, les couches de sens et la singularité du projet visages de masques.  

English: This experimental documentary film highlights Cameroonian visual artist Hervé Youmbi’s conceptual artistic project, “Visages de masques.” The film expresses his unique creative fusion of documentary and art film genres. “Visages de masques” delves into the creation of hybrid masks designed to enrich and expand the canon of ritual societies in West Cameroon and beyond. The film highlights the characters, the challenges, and the rich collaborations that make it possible to produce formally ambiguous masks that move fluidly between the global contemporary art scene and African ritual ceremonial contexts. It interrogates the impact of colonization on the production of ritual life and masking in Africa today, and stands in opposition to the clichés and categorizations that confine the reception of signs and meanings from Africa.   As originator of the “Visages de masques” project, Hervé Youmbi, directs this film that focuses on the multiple relationships that collaborations entail, and profiles rich accounts from experts in the visual arts sector about the layers of meaning, critique, and innovation embedded in Youmbi’s unique vision.

More about NOMA's exhibit:

New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations, on view April 4–August 10 at the New Orleans Museum of Art, spotlights the work of four contemporary artists working in cities across West Africa: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou, and Hervé Youmbi.

Hervé Youmbi has been featured in, among others, the 2017 Münster Skulptur Project, Germany, the Into Nature Biennial, Holland (2018)  exhibits at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, France (2022), the Uchiboso Art Festival, Ichihara City, Japan (2024), and the Louvre Museum, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2025). His work is included in multiple global collections, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and the Menil Collection.