Paper short abstract:

Recently, Mauritanian world of plastic arts has seem to change his familiar dynamics and relationships by the introduction of artistic events, consisting on workshops, installations, performances, etc. These events are mostly foster by the initiative of foreign, "postcolonial", presences.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper, I intend to move the analysis of social and cultural effects produced by the progressive introduction of artistic events to a different, and very particular, non Western artistic context, that of Mauritanian contemporary plastic artists.

Since December 2008, and during regular fieldworks periods, I had the opportunity of assisting to some timid attempts of bringing "new ideas" to the cultural life of the Mauritanian capital city, Nouakchott.

One of the most interesting aspect of these "innovations" is that they almost always come from the initiative of those that can be called "postcolonial" presences, like embassies, cooperation agencies, ONGs, foreign resident artistes, etc., following Western examples.

Until the introduction of different kinds of events, the artistic life of Nouakchott was substantially composed of humble, but regular, painting expositions in different public or private spaces of the city.

When we speak of artistic events we are referring, particularly, to formation and exchange workshops, mural paintings, artistic performances, installations, and auctions too.

Gradually, foreign initiatives began to suggest to local artists some new projects that were usually eagerly accepted.

These still limited new proposals and their realization have consequently begun to transform previous dynamics, roles, and relationships characterizing the Mauritanian world of plastic arts, such as those between artists themselves, between artists and publics or between artists and institutions, etc. We can affirm that contemporary Mauritanian plastic art world is the product of the constant contact between colonial, and actually "postcolonial", presences and local artists.