Colonne Pascale

The Colonne Pascale is a permanent artwork located in the city of Douala (Cameroon). It was created by Pascale Marthine Tayou and inaugurated in 2010.

The artwork
La Colonne Pascale consisted of pots in vitreous enamel, which were used in the past by the housewives to protect the food and the drinks. La Colonne Pascale is a simple and uncluttered dynamic line rising in the sky, located in the heart of a roundabout in the extremely lively quarter New Bell of Douala.

It is 12 m high and constituted of a pile of 76 marmites and 38 lids.

The intention of the artist was to pay homage to African women giving value to the culinary culture of the Cameroonian tradition. Nevertheless, the artwork was the subject of debates and tensions from local residents. People's controversies depend both on the physical position of the Colonne Pascale, appealing to historical events (the square was the epicenter of the riots that led to the independence of the country), and for its symbolic interpretation, since according to many people the artwork recalls and highlights the poverty of New Bell.

The Colonne was renovated in 2013.

Related articles

 * List of public art in Douala
 * Contemporary African art