Togo showcases its modernist architecture in Venice Biennale debut • FRANCE 24 English

Now the concept and creations of Togeali’s spectacular o architecture has for the first time been given space at the Venice Bonale. Now it is one of the world’s premier visual cultural exhibitions and alternates yearly between art and architecture. It shapes trends and can help globally magnify appreciation for historical craftsmanship and artistry of all kinds. Now it is Togo’s turn. Well, the Togealles pavilion was the brainchild of Sonia Lawson, who I’m very pleased to say has been able to join me on set today. Sonia, thank you so much for coming uh to to speak to me. Now, thank you for having me. Pleasure. I couldn’t not when I found out that you were in Paris. Now, one of the things that was super interesting is when I, you know, when we were preparing this conversation, one of my colleagues said, “Oh, it can’t possibly be the first time that Togo is showing at the Venice Bonali.” Um but it but it is it is indeed it’s it’s the first time ever that we have a pavilion in architecture of this time and it was important for us to also showcase to architecture and architectural heritage to the rest of the world. So it’s a really a first but not a last. What do you think the fact that it is showing that you that you took this idea had it accepted had all the support you needed to make it happen? And what do you think that says about what may be changing in the kind of global approach to culture? I think that now nowadays people are increasingly realizing the importance of being there and being part of the global conversations around architecture and we are part of that in terms of sustainability, how to reuse, how to uh build in earth. So all these questions that are that are common to the rest of the world, we are part of it. So now people are increasingly understanding the importance of that and uh I think that Africa has a lot to offer uh in terms of insight for that conversation. So so you think it’s more about African kind of artistic and cultural communities and curators of that reaching more out to the international stage rather than the international stage making more space for African expertise. I think it’s both. It goes both way that the international stage is very curious to know and understand the uh the uh the uniqueness of Africa but so it’s it’s it goes both ways what I noticed is that many countries other countries from other pavilion what is fascinating in Venice is that you have all the countries so 66 countries uh so many countries from over pavilions so they came and they’re curious to discover tool architecture so what is so special about to architecture it’s a blend and what is very interesting is that it has so many layers. So it has the traditional layer which is uni UNESCO heritage site of Kutamaku. So the toma and their name is very interesting itself. The name of these people is that Batamaribba in their language it means the the architect of earth. So it’s how they define their people their own way to define themselves. So it’s earth architecture but we also have brutalist modernist architecture that is often overlooked and people don’t necessarily know that we have that type of architecture in Togo. One of the striking examples is hotel dee. Mhm. Uh another layer is the Afrobrazilian architecture built by the retorados. So the the enslaved people that came back from Brazil. So we have many over many layers of architecture many types of architecture. So it was important to showcase all this and one of the topics the main topic is considering Tooli’s architectural heritage when we say consider is to take into consideration but also look at it because it’s and who’s doing the looking is this the work that you’ve done to bring this to the Venice bianali is it to expand understanding amongst European audiences based in Europe or is there some kind of echo with what is being done back in Togo itself it goes both way for us it’s very important to showcase the tool architectural to the rest of the world. First step, but the second is the second that is very important is that the tool themselves get to understand this architecture and know it because it’s it’s not that well known even in Togo. So it was important for us to showcase the same exhibition in Lumi. So in P de Lume during this V Venice Bal time we have the same exhibition uh regarding the architectural heritage. Oh it’s an amazing bridge between the two. Yes. the the bridge between the two which means that people that can’t travel to Venice can see it in Togo because what for for us is very important of course is to have international and global dialogues but also in in Togo itself uh have people be interested in the buildings be proud of it so that they can preserve it because when it when it comes to creating more international dialogue about African cultural heritage um I know that it it’s Uh it’s a very it’s it’s a difficult topic to talk about because I so today Thursday I understand that um a real towering figure in terms of African art um and architecture is being laid to rest. Uh Coyo uh Huo who I believe is a a good friend of yours now. She passed away just at 57 earlier this month and was due to actually be the first African um curator of the Venice Bianalei next year. What for you is her most lasting leg legacy and you know anything that you’d like to share of your relationship um in in tribute to her? Cuyo was an exceptional human being exceptional in terms of personality very unique in terms also of vision uh vision and ambition for the continent. So she often spoke about radical solidarity between us. So uh she was based in South Africa but also in Sineagal from Cameroon. So she was across the continent and what she wanted to do was to build a network and bridges across the continent because she had this very uh deep understanding that art and culture is an ecosystem. So to make it sustainable we need to have all the steps and professional trend in terms of creation, exhibition design and all these elements. So she was really instrumental in doing that and uh so I I I’m very confident that her legacy will continue and uh I will make sure on my end that it will continue. Thank you so much Sonia um for being so generous with you know a relationship that was very personal to you but also uh really respected throughout the world. Thank you for making your time to come and share your work and also your memories of Coyo with

The concept and creations of Togolese spectacular architecture has, for the first time been given space at the Venice Bienalle. It’s one of the world’s premier visual culture exhibitions and alternates yearly between art and architecture. It shapes trends and can help globally magnify appreciation for historical craftmanship and artistry of all kinds. The Togolese pavillion was the brainchild of Sonia Lawson who we are pleased to interview on FRANEC 24.
#togo #architecture #venicebiennale

🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen
🔴 LIVE – Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN

🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/

Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen
Follow us on X: https://f24.my/Xen
Bluesky: https://f24.my/BSen and Threads: https://f24.my/THen
Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen
Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen
Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen

1 comment

Comments are closed.