French documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: Africa in the heart has been playing exclusively on the TV5MONDEplus platform since August 1. The film traces Basquiat’s “dizzying rise to fame”. [. . .] as fascinating as his own neo-expressionist paintings’, and analyzes how Africa influenced his work and psyche.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Africa in the heart (France, 2022; 60 minutes.)
Director Cyril Bérard, Producer Rachel Kahn
Guénola Pellen reviews the film in France-America:
A whole host of documentaries have already been made about the King of New York’s underground scene and his various excesses, including his overnight success, the millions of dollars amassed in his East Village apartment, his relationship with Andy Warhol , his drug addiction and untimely death in 1988 at the age of 27. A lesser-known aspect of his life is Basquiat’s fascination with Africa, the land of his ancestors. Revisiting his work and its Africanism is the prism provided by the documentary by producer Rachel Kahn and director Cyril Bérard – though both are careful to avoid over-interpretation.
The film Africa in the heart (Africa in the Heart) opens on Basquiat’s trip to the Ivory Coast in October 1986. Sent by his Swiss gallerist, Bruno Bischofberger, the fearsome baby of the contemporary art world was exhibiting his paintings at the French Cultural Center in Abidjan. While the public was disturbed by his daring pieces and offered a rather lukewarm reaction (a local newspaper printed the headline “Unsettling Shapes and Colors”), this experience enabled Basquiat to confront the African identity he championed in his work, the which will soon overtake him. art.
Africa as therapy
Guided by his French friends, Basquiat discovered the wealth of the Ivory Coast, including the banks of the Bandama River, Tiagba Island and the Savanes region in the north of the country. This was the cradle of the Senufo people, a land of artists and spirituality. The artist explored the street markets in the regional capital Korhogo looking for talismans and amulets, hoping to cleanse himself of his inner demons or “ghosts,” as he called them.
After returning to New York, he created an now iconic work. In large white letters on a black background, he wrote: “To ward off ghosts.” In Africa, Basquiat discovered that art is a defense against bad luck. But could the continent have saved him? After recharging his batteries in his homeland, he dreamed of returning there. He suffered a drug overdose on 12 August 1988 and a plane ticket to Abidjan was later found in his personal belongings.
A transmitter of culture
While Basquiat was influenced by Africa, the reverse was also true. “Generations of artists have been inspired by him and moved to find their own way,” says the documentary, which features contemporary African painters such as Jacobleu, Dominique Zinkpé and Aboudia. All of them claim that Basquiat influenced their work. When a generation of young students is asked to talk about their mentors, all of them are African, including Armand Boua and Ouattara Watts.
The documentary also highlights the extraordinary work done by the Zinsou Foundation in Benin, which it launched Basquiat in Cotonou exhibition in 2007, some 20 years after the show at the French Cultural Center in Abidjan. In a space reserved for children, painter Gérard Quenum introduces future artists to Basquiat’s works filled with color and movement.
One of the strengths of the film is how it shows this mutual influence between Basquiat and Africa, while using paintings to show how contemporary African artists have captured his energy and infused their work with it. Thanks to them, negritude continues to appear in the most prestigious museums and galleries of the world.
For full review, photos and preview see https://france-amerique.com/basquiat-from-new-york-to-africa/
For more information and previews see https://usa.tv5monde.com/en/tv-guide/documentaries/jean-michel-basquiat-l-afrique-au-coeur-779130
