NIMBA

Land of inspiration and living heritage, Guinea carries two symbols that meet in Nimba: the Nimba mask (N’Dimba), a maternal figure of the Baga people embodying fertility, abundance, and protection and Mount Nimba, a massif listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its precious yet threatened biodiversity, guardian of a balance that must be protected.
From this encounter emerges a story about the resilience of life and the intertwining of culture and nature. Renewal coexists with destruction, still bearing its traces. Reweaving the ties between nature and culture is not about going backward or dreaming of a naïve return to origins, but about opening a restorative impulse — an uncertain, imperfect new beginning, profoundly human in the face of this fracture. It depicts a shifting rurality, in resonance with the rhythms and shapes of the city, where the boundaries between farmland and urban spaces are constantly being redefined. In a changing world, Nimba celebrates what endures, what connects us to our history and our land, while navigating fractures and rebirths.
Nimba: the performative installation conveys the complexity of the relationship between humans and living heritage — which inhabits us, shapes us, and transforms alongside us. Nimba is a journey, a return to the roots, and a momentum toward the future, carried by the strength of its roots. Aly Keita creates a soundscape that supports and shapes the physical performance. The vibraphone, in dialogue with the musical framework, transforms vibration into a perceptible wave that envelops the experience, heightens perception, and opens new interpretations of the moving bodies.