Ange-Frédéric Koffi: At the limit of dream

While most works of art are concerned with how to occupy space, the practice of Ange-Frédéric Koffi (b. in Korhogo, Ivory Coast) implicates its affective production. Using photography as a primary medium, his installations take the forms of sculptures, textiles and paintings to create a palpable tension between images and objects. At the limit of dream is an invitation to dwell in the liminal spaces opened up by Koffi’s poetic compositions.

The influence of Ivorian architectural and textile cultures is evident in his work. Geometric patterns in wallpaper, carpet and furniture designs form constellations that situate the work within a postcolonial history. His visual language is punctuated by a lucidity that acknowledges that the field of transcendence is limited (Césaire) and so makes propositions for the very mediums he uses. Altération (2023), a reverse image of a car, is not developed into a colour photograph but rather presented as the negative, taken with a film camera. In other instances, photographs are overlayed on textual references. Some such experiments invite viewers to explore the intricate relationship between tangible and immaterial worlds, blurring the lines between reality and the metaphysical. In the artist’s hands, the camera becomes a tool to capture the uncanniness of seemingly mundane objects and thus create a sensibility beyond sight.

Exhibition curator: E. N. Mirembe

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