Pascale Marthine Tayou: Summer Surprise

Produced by Galleria Continua

For 1-54 London’s annual courtyard installation, Pascale Marthine Tayou (b. 1966, Nkongsamba, Cameroon) presents Summer Surprise, specifically designed for The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court at Somerset House. The installation references togunas, public structures native to Mali, built for the purpose of discussing community and constitutional issues. Its location at the heart of village life makes it a meeting point for debate and intellectual exchange. By installing Summer Surprise at the centre point of the fair, Tayou aims to similarly engage visitors and initiate discussion surrounding modern forms of violence.

Pascale Marthine Tayou’s work is known for its thematic and material variability. While his themes vary wide in subject matter, Tayou grounds his enquiries by using his experiences as a point of departure. From the outset of his career, Pascale Marthine Tayou added an ‘e’ to his first and middle names to give them a feminine ending, thus distancing himself ironically from the importance of artistic authorship and male/female ascriptions. Tayou has contributed to a number of major international exhibitions and showcases, such as Documenta11, Kassel (2002); Turin Triennial of Contemporary Art, Turin (2008); Tate Modern, London (2009); Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju (1997 and 1999), among others. He has had solo exhibitions at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, London (2015); MACRO – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Rome (2004 and 2013) and SMAK, Ghent (2004).

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