At the beginning of the 19th century, France, weakened by the revolt and loss of Santo Domingo, changed strategy and sold the French colony of Louisiana to the United States. The troops left the territory and left their musical instru- ments behind. These brass instruments were then taken over by the slaves who formed Brass Bands. Sammy Baloji s two sculptures, in the form of a sousaphone and a harmony horn, are inspired by this chapter of colonial history. The brass, scarified by the artist, echo ancestral Congolese practices eradi- cated by the colonial presence. They are incorporated into metal structures that evoke the form of the ores from Katanga, a Congolese province with a wealth of mineral resources that have been over-exploited by international companies since 1885. Johari - Brass Band is a symbol of Africa taking back its own history.
The two exceptional sculptures, on dis- play at the Grand Palais until it closes for renovation work, and which refer to the 1900 Paris Exposition, will be returned for the re-opening to celebrate the in- augural exhibition of the New Grand Palais. A strong and committed work, a link between today s Grand Palais and the restored Grand Palais,Johari - Brass Bandis thus part of the artistic vision that Rmn Grand Palais has been develop- ing since 2019.
Numerous online publications, on so- cial networks and on the grandpalais. fr site have accompanied this project. An Instagram story in stop-motion, un- veiling the two works on 20 October, was a resounding success (220,000 impressions).
ABOUT THE WORKS
Public sculptures: why and for whom? A round table meeting moderated by Chris Dercon, President of the Rmn - Grand Palais, brought together in the Grand Palais auditorium, the artist Sammy Baloji, Yves Le Fur, Director of the Department of Heritage and Collections at the Quai Branly museum, Simon Njami, art critic and specialist in contemporary African art, and Dominique Taffin, director of the Fondation Pour la Mémoire de l Esclavage (foundation for remembrance of slavery). Entitled Des Sculptures Publiques: Pourquoi et Pour Qui ? (Public sculptures: Why and for whom?) broadcast live on Youtube, the discussion focused on the expectations of a new generation in the face of History, its narrative and representations in the public space.
Sammy Baolji invites Mo Laudi Sammy Baloji also invited Mo Laudi, an artist and specialist in af- ro-electronic music, to create a playlist and a composition set- ting up a dialogue with his works. MO Laudi s work is also based on his research into France's colonial past by studying the ar- chives. For this joint project, Mo Laudi plunged into the origins of the Brass Bands by using the documents that inspiredJohari, Brass Band and adding hours of sound archives. Based on this same approach, the 9-minute Congo Square in d# minor composition merges wind instruments, recordings, excerpts from ceremonies and processions from New Orleans, the Congo and South Africa.
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