Ndayé Kouagou: A Change of Perspective

A Change of Perspective is the first solo exhibition in France (in an institution) by Ndayé Kouagou. Ndayé Kouagou’s different practices revolve around language, without establishing any hierarchy between them. From the tangible form of a painting to videos evoking the world of influencers, to the intimate and ephemeral nature of performances and workshops, his work gives equal consideration to transmission via objects, performances and educational formats. Engaging with the other is central to his need to create. A self-taught artist, his work is driven by a desire for dialogue and openness, a yearning to allow others to dream for themselves. 

Ndayé Kouagou’s lyrics seem to lose us and guide us at the same time, leaving plenty of room for doubt. It’s hard to tell whether the artist’s style is extremely deep or superficial, serious or ironic? Asked about this elusive style of writing, the artist replies that his aim is to give the audience time. Not to give messages that will be quickly digested, but to sow seeds that will then inhabit the mind and grow. This leaves the interpretation open, offering a degree of freedom but also a sense of lightness. This play with Manichaeism and a binary view of the world permeates all Ndayé Kouagou’s work. In his view, we all aspire to things that are simple and precise, but if we are faced with a binary choice, our brains get stuck. In one of his latest public performances, the artist encouraged the audience to divide themselves into two camps: the extraordinary people had to go to one side, and the average and/or meagre people had to go to the other. A choice that is both impossible and ridiculous, highlighting the difficulty of defining oneself. Every word spoken by the artist is imbued with a memory that is both personal and collective, and which is amplified and modified by the person who interprets the work. Ndayé Kouagou films himself and not other people but the principle remains the same: a fictional character enabling a link of “self to self, self to other, self to group”, to address all audiences, whatever their background. There is a search for accessibility in his work. While the narrative conveyed by Ndayé Kouagou represents an alternative to binary media information (good/evil, them/us), particularly through his unwavering commitment to doubt, his work is nonetheless directly inspired by marketing and communication theories.

And in this, Ndayé Kouagou is resolutely pop. Like pop art, Kouagou appropriates the tools that create the dominant aesthetic of his time. This ownership of content creation tools is offered to the public, with the installation of a space for conversation integrated into the exhibition. Defined by the Frac’s new project, this space for free practice immediately appealed to the artist, who wanted to integrate it directly into his itinerary and make it a participatory work. The exhibition opens and closes with an area of activity for everyone, where a question-and-answer game will be played, reflecting the range of doubts generated by the constant pressure to evaluate.

Born in Montreuil in 1992, author, performer and video artist Ndayé Kouagou lives in Le Perreux-sur-Marne. Self-taught, he entered the contemporary art scene first as a writer, then as a performer. Young Black Romantics is the pseudonym he uses on social networks. Emblematic of the artists of his generation, Ndayé Kouagou does not establish a hierarchy between his different practices, which revolve around writing and language.

He has presented his work at Auto Italia South East (London), Wiels (Brussels), Centrale Fies (Dro/Italy), Centre Pompidou and Lafayette Anticipations (Paris), where he also launched his YBR (Young Black Romantics) publishing project. In April 2023, he presented his project The Guru at the Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris). Ndayé Kouagou is represented by Nir Altman (Munich).