Julien Creuzet, The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe: Tinkling – Bozomu (Bali, Ndaka), Elondja (Mongo, Tetela), Elonja (Pygmées), Elonja / Elonza (Mbole), Elonza (Hamba, Ngando), Elonza (Elonja) (Boyela), Elunzia (Kusu), Epam (Mputu), Gong (Kongo), Iyembu (Leele), Kalengele ((Wa) Lese), Lilon- ga (Ngombe), lley (Mputu), Lokuku (Mongo), Lubemb (Lunda), Lubembo (Luba, Songye), Ludibu (Luba), Lukèlendè (Luba), Madwila (Sala Mpasu), Mayembu (Iyembu) (Leele), Mokembe (Ngombe), Ndje (Len- du), Negbongbo (Mangbetu), Ngezo (Tshokwe), Ngonga (Hamba, Kutu, Ndengese, Pygmées), Ngongi (Mpangu, Mputu), Ngongi (Ngondji) (Kongo), Ngunga (Tetela), Ngunga (Ngonga) (Mongo), Njeke (Mongo), Nkonga (Boyela), Rupwamb (Lunda), Tuzundo (Tshokwe), 2023. Detail. PCL plastic on steel, fabric, thread, brass bells, vinyl, electrical wiring, rice. 300 x 150 x 35 cm. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Julien Creuzet, The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe: Tinkling – Bozomu (Bali, Ndaka), Elondja (Mongo, Tetela), Elonja (Pygmées), Elonja / Elonza (Mbole), Elonza (Hamba, Ngando), Elonza (Elonja) (Boyela), Elunzia (Kusu), Epam (Mputu), Gong (Kongo), Iyembu (Leele), Kalengele ((Wa) Lese), Lilon- ga (Ngombe), lley (Mputu), Lokuku (Mongo), Lubemb (Lunda), Lubembo (Luba, Songye), Ludibu (Luba), Lukèlendè (Luba), Madwila (Sala Mpasu), Mayembu (Iyembu) (Leele), Mokembe (Ngombe), Ndje (Len- du), Negbongbo (Mangbetu), Ngezo (Tshokwe), Ngonga (Hamba, Kutu, Ndengese, Pygmées), Ngongi (Mpangu, Mputu), Ngongi (Ngondji) (Kongo), Ngunga (Tetela), Ngunga (Ngonga) (Mongo), Njeke (Mongo), Nkonga (Boyela), Rupwamb (Lunda), Tuzundo (Tshokwe), 2023. Detail. PCL plastic on steel, fabric, thread, brass bells, vinyl, electrical wiring, rice. 300 x 150 x 35 cm. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Julien Creuzet, The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe: Tinkling – Bozomu (Bali, Ndaka), Elondja (Mongo, Tetela), Elonja (Pygmées), Elonja / Elonza (Mbole), Elonza (Hamba, Ngando), Elonza (Elonja) (Boyela), Elunzia (Kusu), Epam (Mputu), Gong (Kongo), Iyembu (Leele), Kalengele ((Wa) Lese), Lilon- ga (Ngombe), lley (Mputu), Lokuku (Mongo), Lubemb (Lunda), Lubembo (Luba, Songye), Ludibu (Luba), Lukèlendè (Luba), Madwila (Sala Mpasu), Mayembu (Iyembu) (Leele), Mokembe (Ngombe), Ndje (Len- du), Negbongbo (Mangbetu), Ngezo (Tshokwe), Ngonga (Hamba, Kutu, Ndengese, Pygmées), Ngongi (Mpangu, Mputu), Ngongi (Ngondji) (Kongo), Ngunga (Tetela), Ngunga (Ngonga) (Mongo), Njeke (Mongo), Nkonga (Boyela), Rupwamb (Lunda), Tuzundo (Tshokwe), 2023. PCL plastic on steel, fabric, thread, brass bells, vinyl, electrical wiring, rice. 300 x 150 x 35 cm. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Julien Creuzet, The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe: Tinkling – Bozomu (Bali, Ndaka), Elondja (Mongo, Tetela), Elonja (Pygmées), Elonja / Elonza (Mbole), Elonza (Hamba, Ngando), Elonza (Elonja) (Boyela), Elunzia (Kusu), Epam (Mputu), Gong (Kongo), Iyembu (Leele), Kalengele ((Wa) Lese), Lilon- ga (Ngombe), lley (Mputu), Lokuku (Mongo), Lubemb (Lunda), Lubembo (Luba, Songye), Ludibu (Luba), Lukèlendè (Luba), Madwila (Sala Mpasu), Mayembu (Iyembu) (Leele), Mokembe (Ngombe), Ndje (Len- du), Negbongbo (Mangbetu), Ngezo (Tshokwe), Ngonga (Hamba, Kutu, Ndengese, Pygmées), Ngongi (Mpangu, Mputu), Ngongi (Ngondji) (Kongo), Ngunga (Tetela), Ngunga (Ngonga) (Mongo), Njeke (Mongo), Nkonga (Boyela), Rupwamb (Lunda), Tuzundo (Tshokwe), 2023. PCL plastic on steel, fabric, thread, brass bells, vinyl, electrical wiring, rice. 300 x 150 x 35 cm. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Julien Creuzet, The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe: Tinkling – Bozomu (Bali, Ndaka), Elondja (Mongo, Tetela), Elonja (Pygmées), Elonja / Elonza (Mbole), Elonza (Hamba, Ngando), Elonza (Elonja) (Boyela), Elunzia (Kusu), Epam (Mputu), Gong (Kongo), Iyembu (Leele), Kalengele ((Wa) Lese), Lilon- ga (Ngombe), lley (Mputu), Lokuku (Mongo), Lubemb (Lunda), Lubembo (Luba, Songye), Ludibu (Luba), Lukèlendè (Luba), Madwila (Sala Mpasu), Mayembu (Iyembu) (Leele), Mokembe (Ngombe), Ndje (Len- du), Negbongbo (Mangbetu), Ngezo (Tshokwe), Ngonga (Hamba, Kutu, Ndengese, Pygmées), Ngongi (Mpangu, Mputu), Ngongi (Ngondji) (Kongo), Ngunga (Tetela), Ngunga (Ngonga) (Mongo), Njeke (Mongo), Nkonga (Boyela), Rupwamb (Lunda), Tuzundo (Tshokwe), 2023. PCL plastic on steel, fabric, thread, brass bells, vinyl, electrical wiring, rice. 300 x 150 x 35 cm. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Julien Creuzet, “The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe”. Exhibition view at High Art, Paris, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Julien Creuzet, The Possessed of Pigalle or the Tragedy of King Christophe: „CHORUS [singing] : Henry, valiant Open for as victory’s doo, Henry, valiant warror! Shango Madia Elloue [repeated] Azango, Shango Madia Elloue [repeated] Sava Loue Sava Loue Azango, Shango Madia Elloue”, 2023. Detail.
Wood, acrylic paint, UV print on vinyl, thread.
162 x 130 x 3 cm. Courtesy of the artist and High Art, Paris / Arles.
Dear Julien
do you know
how many gates
there are between Port-au-Prince and
Paris?
how many bags
how many basements
how many hens, powders
& propulsions
how many signs on the walls
and in the migrated bodies
how many towns, kingdoms,
languages, robbed divinities
in a certified-black heart
how much desire to (h)eroticise
BANM KALOU BANM
smack smack smack
the Atlantic-subway
in Pigalle right now
a few cabri skins
have extended their palm
above a forest that whispers
a back channel
shells rice grains
and peas ready to intone
vows of devotion
a collection of murmurs
pours out like hot streams
curled up at the foot of a piton
and suddenly spat out
in the midst of a ceremony
in a puddle of rum
do you remember
the birds between the fingers
a big snake around the neck
like a wedding ring
that unfathomable Mathilda
it’s here that she dances
there are so many of them
for Papa Legba Elegbara Eshu
holding hands with one another
dressed in pieties
forbidden to others
how could we not venerate in turn
these women fallen like rain
on the streets of Paris
where our own feet walk
all the paths of faith
where perhaps our parents once
passed
today, on this day
it is for them
that the storm will rumble
summoned after so many calls
from the devoted hands
that work backed by the wind
to make the Seine overflow
its bridges
funeral fanfares and canon salutes
for the tragedy of kings and queens
dancing to infinity
singing with a same tremor
nap goumen jouk mayi mi jouk tan nou libere
Yours,
Estelle
