Dodji Efoui – MOWAA Listening Sessions Call and Response
Project Title: Experimental Museum
Reflection
We all know that every country and most cities have a museum. But the question is: who visits these art centres? We can see that admission is often charged, which means that the local population does not go there. And even if admission is free, people are often reluctant to go because they consider museums to be reserved for intellectuals, artists and wealthy people, at least that is what I have observed in my country of origin.
The concept of the “Experimental Museum” is in line with evolving artistic experiences:
- Exhibitions that are constantly changing, such as temporary installations or one-off performances.
- Immersive experiences that engage visitors and allow interaction through virtual reality.
- Debates and conferences with artists, thinkers, and scientists.
- Night-time events such as concerts or open-air film screenings.
Example
A museum organises an all-night event where visitors can explore contemporary art installations, watch dance performances, listen to experimental music, and interact with artists.
In the digital age, virtual animation can be used to tell stories from the past and showcase works, allowing the public to reconnect with their identity.
Sound Performance
My artistic vision is expressed through physical expression and sound. The idea is to bring a character to life — a being seeking rebirth and freedom from conventions and information overload. In a saturated world, the character becomes alienated yet aware, seeking to reconnect with their history and identity.
Nature of the work
A 2-minute 30-second performance and sound video where a character seeks rebirth, like an egg hatching. It questions the status quo and explores new paths through body painting and sound as emotional resonance.
Dodji Efoui works across performance, sound, and embodied expression, using the body as a site for exploring identity, memory, and transformation. His practice is grounded in a desire to question how individuals relate to history and self within an increasingly saturated and information-heavy world.
His thinking is shaped by a critical view of traditional museums as spaces often perceived as inaccessible or exclusionary. In response, they engage with the idea of an “Experimental Museum” — one that is dynamic, immersive, and open to interaction, where audiences participate through performance, dialogue, and evolving forms of display.
Central to his work is the creation of a character navigating alienation and awareness, seeking release from imposed structures and a return to something more instinctive and rooted. This process becomes a way of reconnecting with personal and collective identity.
His current work takes the form of a short performance and sound piece, where themes of rebirth and emergence are explored through movement, body painting, and audio. The piece unfolds as a moment of rupture and possibility, questioning existing norms while gesturing toward new ways of being.