Photographs: Koen de Waal

Théâtre Source is a monumental sculpture, created by Philip Aguirre y Otegui around a natural well in a slum district of Douala, Cameroon’s largest city. First and foremost, Théâtre Source is an architectural artwork, but one that nevertheless possesses a clear functionality. The location has evolved into the social and symbolic centre of the neighbourhood: a meeting place for local people, where they come to drink and wash, but also to watch and take part in theatre.
The book recounts the genesis and story of this extraordinary work, while exploring a variety of themes in greater depth, including art in the public space, water issues in major African cities, and contemporary art in African society. Director Koen van den Bril made a film about the project.

Bilingual edition: French / Dutch.