And so it came to pass that the first Wide Open Walls project came to a close, and returned 8 tired, weathered street artists, heads abuzz with memories, to their home countries for a much needed rest and a bath. They left behind, shimmering in the Gambian heat, some excellent art pieces – all adorning the outsides of houses, of mud huts and compound walls; and all a work of collaboration – with the people of Kubuneh village and with the harsh unforgiving environment.

Such is the nature of the project that the ideal would be to stumble across these installations unawares. You have to wonder how you might think of them out there in the Gambian bush: as spontaneous creations, primitive art forms, as a product of the environment? As it stands though, anyone can venture upriver from Mandina and see the paintings in situ. And as the project already has a tentative schedule for next year, who know where it is all going to lead?

We spoke to Eelus, the curator of Wide Open Walls 2010, before the project began, and here we speak to him after the event about the problems the artists faced and his hopes for the future of the project.

Eelus in action

TGB: So from this distance, how did you feel the whole project went?

Eelus: I feel the project went great. We faced daily challenges of all kinds but the team took everything in their stride and produced amazing work under difficult and unpredictable conditions. The people of Kubuneh village seemed happy and excited about why we were there and the art we were producing, the only down side was that we just didn’t have the time or the manpower to cover more wall space and keep everyone happy. But we did the best we could in the time we had.

TGB: Do you think you achieved everything you set out to achieve?

Eelus: I think the artists went above and beyond what was expected of them. The village has new life breathed into it that will amaze tourists if they make the effort to go and see for themselves, and so in turn sustainable tourism will be encouraged within the village. The artists have done their part of the job but the project isn’t over. The organisers of the project need to continue their effort and assist the village in creating revenue from the new found fame that has fallen onto Kubuneh.

A lion, waits

TGB: How did the people in the villages respond to your presence? Did they get involved with the creation of the pieces?

Eelus: They welcomed us with open arms on a daily basis and made us feel relaxed and at home. The only problems we encountered were down to lack of man power and organisation, if we had more of each, we’d have been able to cover more walls and keep more of the villagers happy. Because of course, if you paint one house, the house next door is jealous and wants something, and then their neighbour wants a piece painted and so on. So in that respect the pressure was on, but I think ultimately the villagers new we were there working for the good of the entire village.

Lucy McLauchlan at work

TGB: What did you think of The Gambia – was it what you expected? Is it somewhere you’d like to return to? (Perhaps for a holiday, and when it’s not quite so hot!)

Eelus: Yeah, the heat was insane. I don’t think I’ve sweated so much in my life. I enjoyed my time in the Gambia, the majority of the people I met were very friendly and welcoming, the main draw for me was the nature and wildlife. The bird life was stunning and you were constantly surrounded by interesting bugs and creatures. I’m not sure if I’d return, simply because the world is a big place and I feel I’ve seen very little. Gambia is now ticked off the list so it’s time to move on.

TGB: What of the project’s legacy, both in terms of what it may have done for the villages and the people involved, and for The Gambia in general?

Eelus: Well hopefully the art in Kubuneh will succeed in bringing tourists to take a look for themselves and help the locals improve their financial situation which ultimately filters down to the younger generations as well as hopefully helping the school and medical centre. I hope the project continues and goes from strength to strength and takes art to the walls of other surrounding villages of the Ballabu to help them in the same way.

Thanks again to Eelus for answering these questions. Here’s to next year’s endeavours. See below for a Flickr slideshow of some images from this year’s event – include photographs from Eelus, Broken Crow, Logan Hicks, Ian Cox and more.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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