La Nouvelle Liberté, Contemporary sculpture at Rond Point Deido, Douala, Cameroon.
La Nouvelle Liberté is a 12-metre-tall sculpture made of scrap metal, with a 5-metre wingspan and a mass of 8 tons, standing in the middle of the Rond Point Deido in Douala. It was produced by Joseph-Francis Sumégné in 1996 from recycled metal pieces mounted on a welded framework.
Joseph-Francis Sumégné produced the sculpture in 1996 from scrap metal, but protests by local media and indigenous populations over its aesthetics and the artist's western origins led to attacks and vandalism. It was only officially inaugurated eleven years later, during SUD2007, when doual'art donated it to the Municipality of Douala, which funded the pedestal it stands on.
The nickname Njo Njo of Deido, meaning the evil or monster of Deido, came from protests by local media and native populations, first over the sculpture's recycled-metal look and then over artist Joseph-Francis Sumégné's West Region origins. The dispute led to attacks and vandalism of the work.
The monument sits at a main traffic junction where several roads meet and is easy to reach on foot. Visitors can view the structure from different positions since it stands freely accessible in open public space.
The nickname 'Njo Njo of Deido' means 'the evil, the monster of Deido' and arose from protests by local media and native populations against the sculpture's aesthetic and the artist's West Region origins. These polemics led to attacks and vandalism, delaying completion until 2007.
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