Cécile Fakhoury gallery in Paris opens art week in style with “Ritz, unité 3”, a solo exhibition by the talented Cheikh Ndiaye. Through this unique presentation, the Senegalese artist immerses the Parisian public in a post-colonial context, where his paintings illustrate the facades of cinemas within West African society. This exhibition can be discovered until November 30 in this space dedicated to art.
Recognized on the contemporary African and international art scene, Cheikh Ndiaye navigates between installations and canvases to reveal the social and cultural narratives of West African regions. Through his works, he shares his perception of historicity, offering an enriching visual interpretation of anthropology and architecture. His singular view of the informal, which underlies his creative practice, breathes new life into abandoned materials, elevating them to a new imaginary while reaffirming their original function.
In post-colonial cities in West Africa, cinemas were often the first buildings transformed to meet contemporary needs, becoming places of worship, supermarkets or garages. In “Ritz, unité 3″, Cheikh Ndiaye uses this witness object to question the complexity of West African societies, thus initiating a reflection on their evolution and heritage.
The exhibition reveals the modernist facades of cinemas, magnificently captured by the Senegalese artist, which impose themselves on the global urban map, even going beyond the major metropolises. More than a simple geographical representation, the illuminated and nostalgic signs painted by Cheikh Ndiaye draw another cartography, that of the immense evocative power of cinema, with emblematic references such as the Eldorado, the Nova York and the Ritz. Through this series of works, the artist tells a sensitive story, building collective imaginations and memories.
The exhibition also highlights works inhabited by the memories of emblematic figures of cinema, whether Senegalese, African, such as those of Djibril Diop Mambety and Ousmane Sembène or from the Western New Wave movement. By integrating direct references to cinematographic history and the personalities who shaped it, Cheikh Ndiaye generates a profound reflection on the complexity of our heritage. Thus, his creations become real memory capsules, referred to as “Memory Devices“.
Currently on display at the Busan Biennale, Cheikh Ndiaye’s work has also graced prestigious stages such as the Venice, Havana and Dakar Biennales, as well as the Maréchalerie – Centre d’art contemporain de l’ENSA Versailles and the Prada Foundation in Milan.
Cheikh Ndiaye’s exhibition “Ritz, Unité 3” at the Cécile Fakhoury Gallery explores the facades of iconic cinemas, evoking the power of cinema in a post-colonial context. Through tributes to emblematic figures, the artist questions collective memories and the cultural impact of the 7th art, through the prism of Senegalese contemporary art.