Christian Etongo

In traditional African religions, the totem is an object of identification that bonds groups together. In Totem, Etongo plays the role of a “Ngan Ngan”, a type of master of ceremonies, staging the symbolic restitution of a totem pole that has been stolen by another clan. The connection with the Coronavirus adds the notion of a mask – have the masks against the pandemic become totems? Etongo as the MC and shaman must find harmony between the two. Totem is ritual that blurs the boundaries between performance, reality, the spiritual world and theatre.

For over four decades, Christian Etongo (born in 1972 in Yaoundé, Cameroon) has devoted his career to performance art. His works are complex compilations that performatively transcribe myths and rituals in order to establish a new kind of (central) African concept of culture. Etongo’s work has been featured in various international festivals, and he actively promotes arts and culture in Cameroon.