Arbre à palabres, Contemporary metal sculpture in Bonanjo district, Douala, Cameroon

The Arbre à palabres is a permanent pyramidal sculpture in Bonanjo, Douala, made by Frédéric Keiff in 2007. Its trunk and branches are painted concrete reinforcing bars, its leaves pieces of coloured glass and plastic, and it stands over 5 metres tall with a 7-metre canopy. Wide wooden planks set into the trunk serve as benches.

The installation replaced a former meeting tree in Bonaberi that had fallen in 1993, following negotiations between community leaders and artist Frederic Keiff. The project emerged from the need to restore this meaningful gathering point for the community.

The sculpture takes its name from the palaver tree, where a village chief and notables once sat to take the community's political and social decisions and to pass on tradition orally. The chief and notables first refused to let a foreign artist place it beside the stump of the old baobab, then accepted a public site so the meeting function would continue. Prince René Douala Manga Bell gave land in Bonanjo, and the work was inaugurated for SUD 2007.

The site is located near three historical landmarks and features wooden benches integrated into the structure for rest and contemplation. The location is best visited during daylight hours to fully appreciate the colored glass as sunlight illuminates the branches.

Glass and plastic fragments attached to the metal branches create constantly shifting color patterns as sunlight passes through throughout the day. This effect makes the sculpture appear different depending on the time of day and weather conditions.