Conservation / Transformation

Initially conceived as the accompanying exhibition for the first edition of Les Rencontres Architecurales de Lomé (RAL #1) the exhibition Conservation / Transformation traces the architecture of Togo through the ages. Togo’s architecture cosmos is one that encompasses a fascinating history: from traditional building methods of which the Tatas Tamberma in Togo’s north are the most iconic, to the hybrid design of Afro-Brazilian architecture built approximately between the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century by freed slaves returning from Brazil to finally arrive at the stunning examples of modernist and modernist-inspired architecture that were built in post-independence Lomé in the second half of the 20th century.

Adhering to a minimalist scenography ensured the buildings themselves were the focus. Mostly photographed specifically for the exhibition, the images were printed, sewn as pairs (on the back and front of a banner) onto locally sourced fabric and suspended between the high ceilings of Palais de Lomé’s exhibition rooms and a traditionally made clay pot. In this way the very rigid nature of the built environment was upended as the various buildings lightly rotated, yet are held in place by artisanal elements. Completing these elements was a clay model of a Tata Tamberma and customised maps providing a geographic context.