Will The Real Salif Keita Of Malian Fine Art Stand Up?

Mali Wed 23-09-2009

Will The Real Salif Keita Of Malian Fine Art Stand Up?
By David Kaiza/AficanColours.com

Hama Goro is the Cultural Manager of Soleil d’Afrique, based in Mali. He is a painter as well. He attended the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture in Johannesburg, South Africa and spoke to AfricanColours in this interview with David Kaiza.

He discussed the disparity between the success of his country’s performance art – particular the world famous Malian music - and the struggling visual arts.

Artist Hama Goro

Hama Goro

Kaiza: What is the artistic scene in Mali like?

Goro: In Mali and Africa in general, culture has a very important developmental role. If you take music in Mali – there are so many Malian musicians inside and outside the country – with big names and big performances. Culture brings a lot of money to Mali. It is a factor in the country’s development.

Art occupies a very important part in the Malian economy – music, fine art, sculpture – all these are the arts practiced in the country. Many people make a living doing art.

Let me give you the example of Oumou Sangare. She has her own hotel. She sells cars and she got all of this from her music alone. Many musicians from Mali are invited worldwide and this brings Mali up. Of course, for every successful musician, there are many who struggle and have problems making a breakthrough.

Kaiza: What is the place of the visual arts?

Goro: If you take the visual arts, you see that it is hard to make an impact in the country with it. We don’t have a local market for this. Only a few visual artists are able to make a living. Some try and give up. Some continue. Some go to do other things. For many artists, it is very difficult to make enough money to even buy materials.

Kaiza: Why the disparity; why is the music performing so well and the visual arts so badly?

Goro: I think it has to do with our traditional heritage. Take Griot. It is a tradition of singing, music about history and this has power in society. If the Griot musician comes to your house and he sings about your history, you give him some money. Even if you are poor, you still find some money to give him.

This concept developed over time and now anyone who can sing is given the opportunity to sing. In the past, to become a Griot, you had to come from a family of Griots. Because of this folklore tradition, people understand the music instantly.

You take visual arts. Before, we were doing visual arts but it was not done as art for art’s sake. It was done for symbolic, social reasons. But then the Arts School arrived, brought by Europeans who defined in their own terms what art was, how it was supposed to be done.

This was not reflective of popular opinion. There was a divergence of interpretation. People were not in. There were out. It became a matter of doing what the European wanted.

In contrast, music was locally defined. There is no divergence between the interpretation of music and the popular opinion. With music, there was historical and cultural continuity.

Kaiza: In your opinion then, how can the Visual Arts connect with the people?

Goro: We are still thinking about how we visual artists can connect with the people. I am an artist. I have managed a cultural centre for 10 years. I have organized workshops and exhibitions. All along, I have been constantly thinking about the problem, how to connect with the people. I have not had a very good response so far. Of course, people are beginning to come awake to the Visual Arts, beginning to see that it can define them and the way they are living.

Kaiza: How can Art Schools, Artists and Galleries address this problem? This is after all, a problem that is felt in all of Africa?

Goro: First take the Gallery. In Mali, if you open your gallery today, it will not last long. This is because most of the people opening galleries do not have much experience. First; don’t open a gallery because you like the idea or because you have money. First you must know what art is.

You have to find support from the public first. You have to communicate the ideas you want. You have to promote what it is you are trying to do and define. Most people who open galleries never communicate their ideas to the public. They open a gallery as if they are opening a shop.

Second, the schools. I think Art Schools should play a different role to the one they are playing at the moment. I think they have to continue teaching students the basics of how to draw and mix colour. This is fine. But they have to invite the public to participate in what they are doing. They should see their role differently. They must communicate the meaning of art to the public. They have to communicate that the artist’s job is not just technical.

Thirdly the artist; what can I and my colleagues do? I think we should always do what we want to do. Don’t do something because you saw someone do it. Don’t go to Paris and because you like what you saw there, come back and do it. An artist should be free in their minds.

b). Discuss your art. Art is not just about drawing and painting. Art is also conceptual. Be more aggressive. Take your art out to the public. Create interaction between your art and the public. Today, the idea of the artist confined to the studio does not apply. We should go out and have a discourse with the public. If the public does not listen to you today, they will listen tomorrow.

Kaiza: How can the visual arts learn a lesson from music?

Goro: Where I leave, I think about this situation and what happens elsewhere. In Mali, the public thinks Visual Art is only for Western people. The challenge is how to disprove this idea. As I have said, music in Mali has to do with our traditions. For the visual art, we should induce the public.

We have to find ways to make them see that the art is for them as well. We as artists should visit schools and introduce art when people are still young.

Kaiza: Are summits like this one useful for Africa?

Goro: Look at the list of sponsors for this summit. Are there any African sponsors? No. This is the problem. Our governments and communities don’t support art. The ministries of culture don’t get enough allocation in the budget to support art because we in Africa don’t believe in art. Our governments, our politicians, all don’t believe in art.

I am convinced that if we don’t take a closer look at art, if we don’t believe in art, it will be very difficult for us to catch up with rich countries.

Look at Asia. How did they develop? They elevated their culture. Look at Japan and China. They believed in their art and looked at it as a vehicle.

Kaiza: I am going to ask a silly question; what is the connection between art and economic development?

Goro: I was speaking about Japan and China. What is their basic thinking? What are the ways they live, what are the values they used to adopt modernity? You saw in their movies, their culture, the karate. They used their culture to empower their people, to show that they too had values. This attracts tourists to start with, and when others see and respect your heritage, it builds confidence in your people.

In Africa we have very strong cultures. Am not saying we return to traditional ways. We cannot leave what we have become. But if you want to be as developed as others, you cannot only use your own ways and ideas. But it is not possible to develop yourself using other people’s ways and ideas only.

You cannot get into other people’s minds. You can only act well with what you know, so you adopt other people’s ideas into your own culture. For me, Africa has to wake up and see that it cannot develop without its own cultures. Culture is the totality of everything.

A short while ago, people overlooked the Chinese and said they were too poor. But today, all statistics show that China is leading in everything. They sent their people to go and learn from outside, but they returned and adopted those ideas to their own cultures.

Kaiza: Do you think this summit will be of use to Africa?

Goro: This is a very good opportunity because it brings many people together, artists, art managers and government ministers. It is an opportunity for African artists to discuss with their governments and artists should use this opportunity to emphasise that culture is a factor in development.

View Goro’s work and cultural centre at www.soleildafrique.org

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