4 dogs and a plum

Ndayé Kouagou (b. 1992, Montreuil) is an artist and performer whose practice interweaves text, performance, video and textiles to explore experiences of otherness, unease and vulnerability as they interact with structures of power, privilege and legitimacy.

Originally a writer, Kouagou’s works derive from short texts he has written on his phone’s Notes app. The artist expands these notes into longer soliloquies, which he delivers live or performs for the camera, dressed in brightly coloured, fashionable ensembles. This braiding of text, performance and sleek self-presentation is informed – aesthetically and strategically – by the contemporary forms of coercive communication found in commerce and social media. ‘Advertising has taught me how to make text attractive’ says Kouagou, ‘It’s the nature of our age, sadly image is stronger than text [...] it’s a question of form.’