SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This exhibition introduces a community of craftsmen who design, build and maintain Djenné's architectural heritage. The exhibition contents explore everyday challenges that masons encounter on their worksites and the tactics and strategies that they employ to control spiritual forces, manage culturally-diverse work teams, and creatively build with limited means and within a setting dominated by ideals of ‘timeless tradition’. Following the recent political upheaval in Mali and the resulting collapse of tourism, foreign aid and the national economy more generally, Djenné’s masons are operating in a period of pronounced austerity and uncertainty. The exhibition documents this challenging period through the experiences, concerns and hopes voiced by five masons, each one representing a different generation.