Grand Bassam

Over the course of a week, local and international tutors and students will examine the architectural heritage of buildings in West Africa, focusing on Grand-Bassam; with a physical intervention in one of the historic buildings in the city. The programme aims at nurturing radical experimentation across all creative disciplines.

L’Ecole de Grand-Bassam aims to build creative and interdisciplinary ties among diverse groups of people working together to explore the ontology of heritage (both social and physical) and push the boundaries of spatial pedagogy. L’Ecole de Grand-Bassam takes an alternative approach to culture and knowledge production by giving autonomy and voice to local artists, while encouraging cross colaboration. The program centers indigenous epistemology, often misrepresenteed or unacknolowedged in contemporary and intellectual discourses; in it’s conception and sustained evolution.

The inaugural edition of L’Ecole de Grand-Bassam includes research labs, seminars and social events from 10th – 20th February 2024 in the historic quarter of Grand-Bassam. The city’s idyllic landscapes, design ateliers and artisanal centers, makes it an appealing campus for the inaugural edition. The purpose built spaces (physical and virtual) for L’Ecole de Grand-Bassam will continue to evolve and provide possibilities for research, residencies, exhibitions, talks, screenings, etc; between West Africa and Europe until 2030, following two year evaluations. Periodic outcomes of L’ecole de Grand-Bassam will be archived and presented in academic and cultural spaces beyond these localities over this timeline.