Grand Bassam emerges as affordable art haven for Ivorian creatives

Rising rents in Abidjan are driving artists to Grand Bassam, a Unesco-listed colonial city 45km east, where a creative renaissance is underway. Artist Nuits Balnéaires moved there permanently in July 2019, citing the ocean's poetic energy as central to his practice. In 2023, La Fourchette de Rōze hotel launched an artist-in-residence programme hosting over two dozen international artists. Last year, the restored colonial customs building reopened as La Maison de l'Art, a contemporary art museum with sculpture garden and cafe, hailed by Culture Minister Françoise Remarck as a "fresh breath of life." Guadeloupe-born artist Elladj Lincy Deloumeaux relocated from Paris to Abidjan then to Grand Bassam five years ago, finding it "calm and soothing." Photographer Aïcha Fall moved from Paris in 2023 and plans to open a studio later this year. Art collector Ozong Agborsangaya-Fiteu notes artists seek affordable spaces while remaining close to Abidjan's galleries and festivals like Abidjan art week. Despite optimism, most galleries and collectors remain in Abidjan.