By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The esplanade of the National Museum in the nation capital last December 20 to 24, 2017 served as a veritable platform for the showcasing of Cameroon’s cultural roots and identity at the first ever Archeological and Patrimonial Arts Fair organized under the distinguished patronage of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.
Representing the Prime Minister, Head of Government at both the opening and closing ceremonies, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi decried that “heritage arts suffer from a two-pronged ostracism; that of obsolete ethnocentrism with its cultural promoters ignoring or denying its value and that of obsolescence with the withering of many social functions in our rural communities.” He further lamented that the degradation reduces the bedrock from which special skills and noble professions have often developed.
The Minister expressed optimism that when the Archeological and Patrimonial Arts Fair will gain full steam, a great diversity of relevant artefacts dully selected from all the ten regions from ancient remains exhumed by archaeology or from younger objects proclaiming here and there a link between the very distant and very glorious past that science reveals will be displayed.
The fair where parts of the artefacts was exhibited was intended to arouse in visitors, be they creators, amateurs researchers, tourists of simple passers-by, the desire to visit the sites of these objects.
Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi while explaining that the fair falls in line with the statutory mission of their ministry such as the development and dissemination of national arts and culture, the protection, conservation, enrichment and promotion of cultural, artistic and film heritage is holding at the time when development of creative industries appear to be indispensible for the proper take-off of Cameroon’s economy.