By Chiara Niccoli. Cover image: Pascale Marthine Tayou, Love Letter, exhibition view in San Marcello Piteglio. Photograph: OKNO Studio

After walking through a chestnut-shaded path in the woods, you arrive at a sunny plain with a splendid view of the Pistoia Apennines. Located at 900 metres altitude in the Oasi Dynamo, OCA Oasy Contemporary Art and Architecture has reopened. This WWF-affiliated natural reserve spans around one thousand hectares. The former cow barn is now a museum space that currently hosts the exhibition Love Letter by Pascale Marthine Tayou, running until November 3, 2024. The space integrates contemporary art, architecture, and nature, aiming to promote environmental respect and awareness.

Pascale Marthine Tayou portrait, photo by Lorenzo Fiaschi

Pascale Marthine Tayou, who was born in Cameroon in 1966, prefers to call himself a “producer” rather than an artist. He has developed an artistic language that draws from his cultural background and his extensive travels. His artistic practice is based on a continuous exchange between art and life. In the early 1990s, he decided to change his name to Pascale Marthine, which are both typically feminine names, conscious of the evolving and non-static nature of personal identity. Influenced by his cultural roots and travels, Tayou uses recycled materials to explore the relationship between humans and nature. The exhibition features diverse sculptural forms and artefacts, such as Poupée Pascale, Bantu Towels, large frescoes, Colorful Stones, and Plastic Bags, a sculpture made from plastic bags. Pascale Marthine Tayou also created two neon works, including Love from Dynamo, conveying love and generosity towards the environment and the nearby Dynamo Camp.
Living and working in Ghent, Belgium, and Yaoundé, Cameroon, Tayou has been internationally recognised since the 1990s. His art, which mediates between cultures and examines the human-nature relationship, is characterised by its variability, spontaneous approach, and awareness of social, cultural, and political contexts. 

Art in Tuscany at Oasi Dynamo with Pascale Marthine Tayou

Pascale Marthine Tayou’s portrait by Lars Skaaning

You like to define yourself as a “producer” rather than an artist. Why?

I sometimes define myself as “Pascale who rolls and gathers moss,” as my works are just a reflection of my experiences. Sometimes, I discover that after I’ve done something, my work is very spontaneous. I am just the product of my environment. I’m particularly interested in humans, their attitudes, emotions, and reactions. I transcribe all of this in an aesthetic way, attempting to make it a tool for work. I am a producer because I manipulate the things I find, I transform them, and I let them adopt me. I manipulate forms rather than create them.

Poupée Pascale, Hybridation, 2023, crystal and mixed media. Courtesy of the Artist and of Galleria Continua

Changing your name to Pascale Marthine speaks of identity, mutability, and freedom. This is reflected and confirmed in your work.

I always wanted to carry my parents’ names wherever I go, to feel their presence. The ambiguity it induces is something I discovered later. I changed my name to a more feminine version but did not expect anything in particular; I did it out of a desire to feel closer to my parents. This name has brought many surprises, and I questioned myself. Originally, I wouldn’t talk about commitment in this approach, but then I realised that it could prompt some reflections. We can still keep things simple; my names are not fetishes. Others perceive them that way, but that’s their problem. Identities are multiple, and many of my works talk about that. Our upbringing and education certainly influence us, but ultimately, identity is a universal experience.

Pascale Marthine Tayou, Love letter, exhibition view at OCA space at Oasi Dynamo. Photograph by OKNO Studio

Which of your works best connects with this unique environment?

My entire exhibition, including my studio, connects me to this environment. When I was invited to showcase my work, I thought of the energies and human commitment of this place, and that’s why I wanted to name the exhibition “Dynamo.” The term “Dynamo” perfectly captures the idea of dynamic energy and suits this place perfectly.

Your art is diverse and unbounded by strict boundaries. What message do you want to convey to people? 

I think borders should not exist. As humans, we have the right to dream and explore our universes beyond the dividing lines. The act of love should be expressed in the simplest way possible, with a smile. I am unsure of how people will react to my work “Love from Dynamo,” which is currently on display, as I don’t smile all the time myself. But we are never truly happy when we are angry; joy is the simplest thing. The purest form of wealth that we all possess. It is our human desires that taint our joy of living.

Bantu-Towel, sewn towels. Courtesy of the Artist and of Galleria Continua

How do your Cameroonian roots and travel experiences influence your work?

I carry values within me; they are in my genes. As I travel, when something needs to stick with me, it sticks. I try to maintain a free attitude. ‘Cameroonian roots’ don’t exist; it’s a state of mind. I have human roots. It happened by chance that I was born in Cameroon, but my roots are everywhere. I am a Creole being.

How does using recycled materials in your work convey a message about environmental awareness and sustainability?

I don’t use recycled materials, I use objects. We are humans, and wherever we are, we must leave space for those who come after us. I don’t need to be militant, I have to live with nature because I am one of its elements. I am not going to have an exaggerated dream. We don’t know where we are anymore because we think too much.

Pascale Marthine Tayou, Love letter, exhibition view at OCA space at Oasi Dynamo. Photograph by OKNO Studio

What advice do you have for aspiring artists? Above all, don’t be an artist, and try to be yourself.