Historic invitation to Brazzaville talent
Brazzaville’s Senate building buzzed this week as Paris notary Sorelle Begue-Buchert stepped out of the office of Senate President Pierre Ngolo, carrying an invitation that could propel Congolese creativity onto one of Europe’s most prestigious stages.
- Historic invitation to Brazzaville talent
- A bridge between heirs and halls
- French Senate backs Central African creativity
- Women in the artistic spotlight
- Checklist before Paris opening
- Local voices and economic hopes
- Digital showcase and youth engagement
- A diplomatic canvas
- Date pencilled, ties strengthened
- Prospects beyond Paris
Her mission is to secure official backing for an African art exhibition inside the French Senate’s Luxembourg Palace and ensure Congolese masterpieces stand prominently among the curated selection.
A bridge between heirs and halls
Begue-Buchert describes herself as “a bridge between talent and market”. In Paris she advises heirs, collectors and living artists on protecting, valuing and selling artworks. Many, she notes, own pieces yet struggle to approach galleries or international buyers.
In recent years she has organised smaller shows in France to help emerging African artists gain clientele. “Exhibitions give them both visibility and the self-confidence to price fairly,” she told reporters after her Brazzaville meeting.
French Senate backs Central African creativity
The French upper chamber quickly warmed to the idea. Senator Guillaume Chevrollier, who chairs the Senate’s Central Africa friendship group, personally asked the notary to pilot a large-scale event highlighting the region’s cultural vitality.
Protocol officers in Paris confirm that similar thematic exhibitions have boosted tourism inside the Senate and enriched diplomatic ties with guest countries. For Congo-Brazzaville, the forthcoming show could coincide with 2024 cultural-season planning.
Women in the artistic spotlight
This edition will run under the banner “Promoting Women through Art”. Curators intend to display paintings, sculptures, photographs and textiles created by or celebrating Congolese women, from pioneer ceramists of the Pool to contemporary Pointe-Noire street photographers.
“We want visitors to see how women shape memory and modernity,” Begue-Buchert explains, adding that seminar discussions should accompany the artworks, giving voice to female artists, historians and entrepreneurs.
Checklist before Paris opening
Before any crate is shipped to Paris, the notary must assemble a selection committee in Brazzaville involving the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum and independent gallerists. Authenticity checks, insurance certificates and export licences will follow strict bilateral guidelines.
Transport logistics are another hurdle. Specialists estimate that climate-controlled containers from Pointe-Noire to Le Havre cost roughly 6,000 euros each, while last-mile deliveries to the Luxembourg Palace require coordination with French customs and Senate security teams.
Funding remains open. Organisers are approaching Brazzaville-based banks, French cultural foundations and private sponsors to cover packing, insurance and promotion costs estimated at 120,000 euros.
Local voices and economic hopes
Local artists welcome the opportunity. Painter Magnin Mouanda believes the show could “open real markets, not just likes on social media”. Textile designer Clarisse Louamba hopes it will spark workshops with French couture houses.
Economic observers also spot potential. According to the Congolese Union of Visual Artists, foreign sales rose 12 % in 2022, though most deals stayed within neighbouring countries. A Paris showcase could accelerate that trend and channel fresh revenue into studios.
Digital showcase and youth engagement
Organisers plan a parallel digital gallery hosted on Senate servers, enabling viewers worldwide to navigate 360-degree images of each piece. QR codes beside the artworks will redirect to artists’ biographies, studio videos and secure purchase options.
Such hybrid formats proved successful during the 2022 heritage season, when virtual tours attracted more than 200,000 clicks in a single weekend, according to Senate webmaster Pierre-Etienne Lavoisier. Congolese curators hope similar numbers will amplify their message.
Ahead of the show, Begue-Buchert intends to host workshops in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire on copyright, pricing strategies and cross-border shipping rules. Invitations will target students from the National School of Fine Arts.
“Many young creators ignore how a simple wrong customs form can ruin a sale,” notes art lawyer Séraphin Mabiala. “These sessions will arm them with contracts, templates and contacts.” The initiative aligns with government objectives on youth employability.
A diplomatic canvas
Cultural diplomacy remains central to Congo-Brazzaville’s outreach strategy. Authorities see the art exhibition as a soft-power lever complementing recent agreements on forestry management and academic exchange with France.
Senate President Pierre Ngolo underlined that view during the audience, stating that “art tells stories our people share, and partnerships blossom when those stories are heard”. His office is expected to announce formal endorsement once the artist list is finalised.
Date pencilled, ties strengthened
In Paris, Chevrollier’s team tentatively pencils October 2024 for the vernissage, aligning with the European Heritage Days, a period that traditionally draws tens of thousands of visitors into parliamentary buildings.
Should the schedule hold, Congolese paintings and sculptures will hang beneath gilded ceilings where French lawmakers debate laws—a setting that may well turn every brushstroke into a new thread linking Brazzaville and Paris.
Prospects beyond Paris
If the Luxembourg Palace exhibition succeeds, talks are already underway for a travelling version to visit Bordeaux, Lyon and Brussels, says Chevrollier’s office. Expanded routes could create longer visibility windows and sustained sales momentum for Congolese creators.
