Marianne Heske is internationally renowned for her art installations and has had separate exhibitions all over the world in cities such as Paris, London, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Lisbon and in São Paulo-biennale in Brazil.
The exhibition, which will be on display at the Gunpowder Tower at Fort Jesus throughout January, is part of an art project that brings together artists from different countries and across cultures.
The art installation consists of doll’s heads in different sizes and materials, made by local artists and craftsmen, using as a model the original doll’s head made of papier-mâché from Paris. This head has been with Marianne Heske since 1971 and represents a conceptual mirror of the human being. The heads made in Kenya are made of typical Kenyan material such as soap stone, rosewood and ebony. Some of these heads will later be sent to exhibitions around the world.
Heske chose Fort Jesus as the venue for “Tête-à-tête”, being in itself a famous landmark on the Indian Ocean Coast and a UNESCO World Heritage African History Site. The fort, which was built by the Portuguese in 1593, has been influenced and altered by both the Omani Arabs and the British, who controlled the fort during longer periods.
In her speech Ambassador Jacobsen highlighted Mombasa as a world city where cultures have met for centuries. The Norwegian Embassy to Kenya also has a regional engagement, and has cooperated with Kenya both through involvement in the Peace Process in Sudan and concerning the difficult questions arising from the complex situation in Somalia.
The Ambassador also spoke about the support to the reform agenda and the importance of fighting corruption and building a society where respect for human rights and equality for women are core values. Ambassador Jacobsen could furthermore inform the guests at Fort Jesus that not only does the Norwegian Embassy support good governance and human rights, but that Norway will also fund the next Subregional meeting on Culture Heritage in Kenya with app. Ksh. 4,5 Million.