The Cameroon-born painter’s new Paris show draws a link between the architect and Africa
Visual ArtsMaison La Roche, a purist villa designed and built in the 1920s by Le Corbusier and his architect cousin Pierre Jeanneret, is an early example of what Le Corbusier would later call his “five points of new architecture” – a manifesto delineating pillars, a roof garden, an open floor plan, long windows and open façades.
Despite its openness and optimisation for natural light, its dual purpose still makes it complex to navigate. The artist Ludovic Nkoth is well aware of this as he welcomes me in. “Come with me, my friend,” says Nkoth, a warm, charismatic 28-year-old. “Let’s get lost together.” Nkoth in Maison La Roche, in front of Traces de pas dans la nuit, 1957, by Le Corbusier, and The Moon Whispered... I’m Ready, 2023, by NkothThough Nkoth was only introduced to the villa recently, it already feels familiar to him. In October, he will unveil a solo show entitled– becoming only the second living artist and the first black artist to have an exhibition in the space.
Nkoth met many of the subjects in his recent paintings while frequenting Château Rouge, an area known by many Parisians as “le quartier africain”; it reminded him of his West African roots. “We talk, we share meals and ideas,” he reflects on encounters with street performers, barbers or restaurant owners. “It’s not easy to come to a country such as France or the US as an immigrant.”
He has melded these observations with the research from the Le Corbusier archives, which comprise some 400,000 items including plans, photographs and drawings, with many of the documents stored adjacent to Maison La Roche at Maison Jeanneret. Although Le Corbusier never cited West Africa in his writings, scholars have made the case that a number of the architect’s projects epitomise Afrocentric architecture.
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