Ndayé Kouagou’s exhibition “Direction, Direction? is part self-talk, part influencer talk. The artist is inspired by our tendency to overthink decision-making and adopt superstition (tarot readings, tossing coins) to predict the future.
At the center of the exhibition is the film A room is a room, 2022, which takes place in a production studio with two lightweight tripods framing the scene. The artist, dressed in a yellow and gray suit of dynamic proportions, takes on a non-binary identity to blur possible boundaries and distract from any linear or binary influences that might thwart the decision-making process. Speaking in a female voice dubbed by actor Salber Lee Williams, the artist, facing the camera, addresses the audience with a solemn message: “If you were looking for direction, this is definitely not the place, look elsewhere. Meanwhile, LOOK ELSEWHERE, lettered in white graphics by Axel Pelletanche, flashes across the screen almost like a warning. Over the next five minutes, Williams delivers Kouagou’s stream-of-consciousness ramblings, often peppered with motivational phrases such as “Change is key.” The key to the place, though? »
As its soundtrack dominates the space, A room is a room is tucked away in the back corner of the gallery. The immersive wall installation Directions, 2023, features aluminum plaques with quotes from the video. Six small pieces of wall are scattered everywhere. As Directions, they feature highlighted phrases – “FROM ME?” », « I KNOW, shocking! and, succinctly, “WHAT?” – which have been mounted on PVC on colored strips of fabric that have been lightly creased and coated in resin. Their autonomous presence confirms that beneath all the voids of influencer culture, tarot readings and coin tossing, we all have an inner voice guiding us, which, if we are willing to listen carefully, will tell us where we have to go.
