Goumbé - Carl-Edouard Keita : Online viewing room

At the dawn of independence, Côte d'Ivoire experienced an unprecedented economic boom, commonly referred to as the Miracle ivoirien (Ivorian Miracle). Many young people from rural areas (Malinkés from the North) or from neighboring countries (Guinea, Niger, Ghana…) migrated to Abidjan-the brand-new economic capital-full of hope and eager for new adventures, seeking employment, financial stability, and a better future. This utopia found its anchor in the districts of Treichville and Adjamé. Together, these young migrants formed mutual aid associations known as Goumbés. Structured, codified, and hierarchical, these associations-bridging tradition and modernity-organized various activities fostering community cohesion.

Through Goumbé, Carl-Edouard Keïta immerses us in the history of these communities and offers a reflection on regional migrations and their impact on the writing of contemporary Ivorian society.

Keïta’s drawings demonstrate a remarkable mastery of composition, with each piece carrying a story, a narrative. The decomposition of the figures’ bodies into multiple geometric elements can be understood as a mimetic gesture, revealing and deconstructing the themes explored in his works—moving from the visible to the hidden.

By capturing the subtleties, complexities, and rich intermingling of Ivorian contemporary history, this exhibition serves as a testimonial journey through the Goumbé universe-a dance of exile that has nearly vanished, even as its songs and movements persist in other forms within Malinkés communities. 

This exhibition in Abidjan is also an opportunity for Carl-Edouard Keïta to further his artistic illumination of diasporic histories. He presents us with major portraits in a profound act of transmission and absolute legacy.