Vodjo - Total work of art

Vodjo – Changement en langue Fon /
Change to Fon language (Bénin)
“Inspired by Gothic architecture, religious painting, science fiction, and pop culture, I conceived and crafted this fetish as a living work of art, a reflection of a futuristic primitive cult. As if to ward off and protect from the misfortunes of war, the architectural elements are shaped like weapons of war. Its costume is designed from materials and codes borrowed from Catholicism.”

On its back, a chapel houses a painted image, using certain codes from the Orthodox icon. A painting representing a mixed-race figure, an interpretation of Perugino's painting "The Ascension of Christ" or Carl Bloch's "The Resurrection of Christ" integrated into a repurposed robot body.

To add an interactive dimension, the stained-glass windows of this construction are animated by paid light shows, similar to a pinball machine. The costume gives the whole a living fetish image. The latticed face of his helmet, also in the shape of a chapel, is reminiscent of a confessional, like an oracle. Vodjo is an artistic entity capable of communicating, moving, and dancing to ward off evil spells.