Assessment, Challenges, and Perspectives of Art History in Africa: The Case of the Discipline in Cameroon
April 7-9, 2025 / Libre Academy of Fine Arts, Douala, Cameroon
Partner: International Committee of Art History (CIHA) / Collaborations: University of Yaoundé 1; Institute of Fine Arts Nkongsamba, University of Douala; University of Maroua; Inter-State University Congo - Cameroon; University of Dschang; Exploring Visual Culture (EVC) / Guests of Honor: CIHA Board – Marzia Faietti, France Nerlich, Marie Therez Stauffer
April 7, 2025
09:00 AM - Welcome speech, Paul-Henri S. ASSAKO ASSAKO, Associate Professor, Arts and Archaeology Department, University of Yaoundé 1 - Director of LABA - Secretary General of CHA-Cameroon
09:10 AM - Introductory speech, Narcisse Santores TCHANDEU, Associate Professor, Arts and Archaeology Department, University of Yaoundé 1 - President of CHA Cameroon
09:20 AM - Inaugural lecture, Bienvenu Cyrille BELA, Professor, Head of Arts and Archaeology Department - Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1
ASSESSMENT, ISSUES, AND PERSPECTIVES OF ART HISTORY IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES
10:00 AM - SOUTH AFRICA - Lize KRIEL, Chair of the Visual Arts Programmes at the University of Pretoria – South Africa
10:10 AM - BENIN – Romuald TCHIBOZO, Professor, Director at the National Institute of Arts, Archaeology and Culture (INMAAC) - University of Abomey-Calavi
10:20 AM - SENEGAL – El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, Art History Researcher, Curator of the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar
10:30 AM - BURKINA FASO – Edwige ZAGRE/KABORE, Associate Professor in Art History at UNZ - Cultural Heritage Manager - Ouagadougou
10:40 AM - CAMEROON – Vendelin ABOUNA ABOUNA, Associate Professor, Assistant Coordinator of the Doctoral Training Unit in Arts and Heritage Sciences, Institute of Fine Arts of Nkongsamba - University of Douala
10:50 AM - Discussion
CIHA presentation and perspectives on developing an "inclusive art history discipline"
11:30 AM - The strategic orientations of the CIHA - Marzia FAIETTI, President CIHA, Professore all'Università di Bologna e ricercatrice associata al Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz– Max-Planck-Institut - Italie
11:45 AM - Reflections on the perspectives of architectural history – Marie Theres STAUFFER, Treasurer of CIHA, Professor of Architecture History at the Art History Unit, University of Geneva
12:00 AM - Challenges of structuring art historical research - universities, museums, research centers – France NERLICH,Secrétaire Scientifique CIHA, Professor at the University of Tours, Head of the Resources and Research Center -Daniel Marchesseau, Musée d’Orsay
12:15 AM - Discussion
TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
Room 1
- 2:00 PM - What methodological challenges exist for teaching Art History in Africa in the age of AI? - R. TCHIBOZO – F. BODENSTEIN
- 2:35 PM - What are the interests and challenges of renewing research topics, transmitting, and disseminating knowledge in Art History in Africa? – N. FRANCE - PHS. ASSAKO ASSAKO
Room 2
- 2:00 PM - How can Art History contribute to the sustainable development of contemporary African society? - Thekla Worch-AMBARA (Directrice Goethe-Institut Cameroun) – El Hadji Malick NDIAYE+
- 2:35 PM - How does Art History contribute to discourses on heritage and memory in Africa? – E. ZAGRE KABORE – L.B. ONDOBO
PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH
3:25 PM - Presentation of the journal “Afrikaland Arts & Design”, P.H.S. ASSAKO ASSAKO (Publishing Director)
3:35 PM - Tribute to the pioneering Cameroonian "art historians": E. Mveng, J. Essomba, and J.-P. Notué – Dr D. TATUEBU, Lecturer, University of Maroua - Dr R. FANDIO, Lecturer, IBA, University of Douala - C. MIACHÉ EVINA, PhD student in Art History, University of Yaoundé 1 and the Technical University of Berlin
3:45 PM - Discovery of published studies on art in Cameroon Articles, books, journals, and specialized newspapers - N. TCHANDEU - Dr L.B. ONDOBO, Lecturer, University of Yaoundé 1 - Head of the Pedagogical Team for Digital Creation and Design, Inter-State University of Congo-Cameroon
Opening of the Exhibition: Memory and Visual Creations
Dr C. ZEH, Lecturer, University of Maroua – C. AMOUGUI + Welcome drink
April 8, 2025
08:00 AM – 1:00 PM - Art tour - Discovery of art promotion projects in the city of Douala: In and Off Art Center; Bolo l’Espace Art & Culture; Doual’art; Galerie Mam; Annie Kadji Art Gallery.
C. AMOUGUI, PhD Student in Art History, Arts and Archaeology Department, University of Yaoundé 1 ; Miaché EVINA
INTERCONTEXTUALITY, INTERTEMPORALITY, AND TRANSCULTURALITY OF VISUAL CULTURE IN AFRICA
Transcultural approaches and narratives of Africa's visual culture, Moderator: Hilarion Faison, Visual artist & Lecturer-researcher, Arts and Archaeology Department, University of Yaoundé 1
2:30 PM - How to teach “African art history” in German Classroom? Ernst WAGNER, Lecturer and Researcher at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany, EVC Executive Secretary and Webmaster, commissioned by the UNESCO-Chair in Arts and Culture in Education at the University of Erlangen.
2:40 PM - History as art: translations of historical memory across time, space and media. Lize KRIEL, Chair of the Visual Arts Programmes at the University of Pretoria – South Africa
2:50 PM - Un/known Stories of Cultural Heritage in Africa. Runette KRUGER, Research Associate in the Faculty of Arts and Design, Durban University of Technology; Chair of the Board ASAI (Africa South Art Initiative)
Issues of provenance, restitution of "looted" cultural property, and decolonization of knowledge. Moderator: Dr Marthe MFOU’OU, Lecturer, Department of Arts and Archaeology, University of Yaoundé 1 – Cameroon, Former director of the Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Arts and Culture of Cameroon
3:30 PM - Franco-German fund for research on the provenance of cultural goods: what opportunities for Africa? – Julie SISSIA, PhD in Art History from Sciences Po-Paris and the Kunstakademie, Project Manager, Franco-German Research Fund on the Provenance of Sub-Saharan African Cultural Goods, Marc Bloch Center, Berlin – Germany
3:40 PM - Decolonizing knowledge and rewriting the self: the example of the "m’mouat" costume among the Fan - Brigitte NGA ONDIGUI, PhD Student in Art History, UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal – Canada)
3:50 PM - Authenticity in question : Canon training and art market – Yaëlle BIRO, PhD in Art History, Université Paris 1 - Département des Etudes et de la Recherche de l'INHA, Paris - France
4:00 PM - The digitalbenin.org project, past and future of the provenances – Felicity BODENSTEIN, Associate Professor, Sorbonne University, Centre André Chastel, Paris - France
4:10 PM - The Mandu-yenu throne, a gift or a forced consent? - Idrissou NJOYA, Associate Professor, Institute of Fine Arts of Foumban, University of Dschang
COMMITTEE FOR ART HISTORY (CHA) CAMEROON - AFRICA
4:20 PM - Workshop on the implementation of CHA Africa – R. TCHIBOZO
5:00 PM - Presentation of discussion reports – Dr S. EBALA EBALA, Lecturer-Researcher, Inter-State University of Congo-Cameroon – C. MIACHÉ EVINA
Closing
April 9, 2025
17h – 19h - The World Festival of Negro Arts: Building a Pan-African Consciousness, El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, Researcher in Art History, Curator of the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar.
