Art Collection: The Past Tells Its Stories To Today’s Generation

Today’s generation, especially students, is versed with the history of their nation and other foreign lands. Most often, however, there is nothing concrete to connect them to such history lessons. Moreover, modernity has over the years tended to have negative effects on society, especially on the youth. As result, life’s values that were held in high esteem in the past have either been ignored or being forgotten completely. And certain old items that facilitate understanding of the present to help prepare for the future are totally neglected by youth.  

It is against this backdrop that Nestor Dominique Kengne, a fine artist, collector of antique items from refuse dumps and National Pedagogic Inspector in charge of Arts and Cultural Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education, has decided to do something about the situation. Thus, the advent of the “Introductory project for the collection of antique/or extinct objects and the creation of mini galleries in some Cameroonian colleges.” “This is why I have been collecting old items considered by many as not only useless, but also dirty and encumbering,” Kengne explains.

He hopes that these antiquities will help the young to better understand their history and culture. Also through these objects, learners could become more interested in reading about the past in order to know more about the people who used them. “The idea of this project began when I started collecting items from refuse dumps to produce paintings and fine arts items,” Kengne recalls. He has already held several exhibitions during which young students were briefed on the era during which the collected antique items were in vogue.

The idea was then nurtured when he was appointed National Pedagogic Inspector in charge of Arts and Cultural Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education in January 2013. He thus saw in the new role a great opportunity to introduce the innovation into our educational system. For a start, the project is run by art clubs in some selected colleges. So far, Nestor Dominique Kengne has collected old planting tools, ancient bush lamps, old groundnut or “egusi” hand-driven grinding machines, old telephones, extinct vehicle makes, etc.

Apart from using the collections to teach students history, they are also exhibited; while some are recycled to produce fine arts items, he explains. So far, Nestor Dominique Kengne has not received any official financial support for his initiative. In fact, he urgently needs funding because some of the heavy antiquities he collects require money to be moved to sites where they are exhibited.