Oumar Ball "Oiseaux du désert" installation

 Oumar Ball last preparations

setting up

setting up

setting up

 Today, thursday 17th November, will be the opening of the exhibition "Oiseaux du désert, oiseaux du Banc d'Arguin" an installation by Oumar Ball.

 A Mauritanian artist, with whom I've been working closely for the past year. 

Its the first time I'm curating an exhibition and working with Oumar has been very enriching in many ways. Not only I try to push him to his limits and to get him to question and criticise his own work but I see how easy it is to be satisfied with what we do and how difficult it is to keep pushing forward. 

Many years ago a Portuguese sculptor, Jorge Vidal, made me draw my own hand and every time I stopped he kept saying keep going... at the time I did it reluctantly as I was already satisfied with what I had done but as he kept telling me to keep working on this one drawing I saw how it got stronger.

I saw myself doing the same thing to Oumar I just hope that I'll be so exigent on my own work as I was with him. 

Don't miss it if you're in Nouakchott. 

Also if you speak French there's an interview of Oumar  Ball and of myself, the 4th of December in France Culture a two hour radio interview from 2 pm to 4 pm by Arnaud Contreras about the city of Nouakchott.
 Great article in French about the installation.