Simonet Biokou

**Simonet Biokou** (born 1965) be a contemporary Beninese scrap metal artist. He san appear insyd film, wey dey play einself insyd de 1998 film *Divine Carcasse,* in wich dem dey show ein character dey create a sculpture dey use car parts. Na dem feature ein works insyd major metropolitan museums wey dey include de Metropolitan Museum insyd New York.

## Biography
Na dem born Simonet Biokou for July 7, 1965 insyd Porto-Novo, Benin. He dey komot a family of blacksmiths wey help am acquire ein skills plus metal before he pursue art as a career. He start ein journey along plus ein cousins den fellow scrap metal artists Calixte den Theodore Dakpogan, wey first na dem no support ein decision make he cam turn an artist wey dey fear say no one go buy ein work. After he see interest insyd ein art from a man insyd de French Embassy wey acquire one of ein statues, dem join am make he dey use recycled parts take make artworks. Na dem commission both de bros den Biokou make dem contribute statues insyd Ouidah for Ouidah 92, a festival wey dey bring attention to de African Diaspora insyd Benin den de slave route.

Biokou dey base insyd Porto Novo, Benin, wer Vodun (anaa Voodoo) be an official religion practice by 40% of de population. Ein creative den symbolic pieces wey highlight ein cultural heritage allow am make he cam turn de contemporary African sculptor per wey exhibit for de Contemporary Art Museum of Liège, Belgium. He frequently exhibit insyd Africa, Europe, den Canada.

## Artworks
A common theme insyd ein artworks be de depiction of professions, like musicians anaa soldiers, as well as Voodoo spirits den priests. He dey utilize recycled metal from different objects for ein sculptures, like bicycle chains, car rims, gears, den screws.

* ***Les musiciens''', scrap metal.'' 
* ***Le commerce de l’homme**,'' scrap metal''.''
* ***Dieu Ogoun*', scrap metal.*
* ***Une petite representation du Dieu du fer Ogou**, scrap metal.*
* ***Musicien***, scrap metal.
* ***Porteur d'eau***, scrap metal.
* ***Elisabeth** **III***, scrap metal.
* ***Le joueur de djembé***, scrap metal.
* ***Prêt à voler***, scrap metal
* ***Le roi***, scrap metal.
* ***Le sage***, scrap metal.
* ***La compagnie***, scrap metal.
* ***Le discours***, scrap metal.
* ***Pause clope***, scrap metal.
* ***Le couple***, scrap metal.
* ***La pintade***, scrap metal.
* ***Le troisème âge***, scrap metal.
* ***Femme enceinte***, scrap metal.
* ***Le socle***, scrap metal.
* ***Zangbeto***, scrap metal.
* ***Ogou***, scrap metal.

== Exhibitions ==

=== Group exhibitions ===

* *Festival vidéo,* Liège, Belgium.
* *Les internationales,* Liège, Belgium.
* *Rencontres internationales d'été,* Castelnaudary, France.
* *Centre d'animations Louis Lumière,* Paris, France.
* *Migrations culturelles,* Bordeaux, France.
* *Musée Ethnographique,* Geneva, Switzerland.
* *Semaine de la Francophonie,* [[Accra]], [[Ghana]].
* *Rencontres internationales d'été,* Castelnaudary, France.
* *Centre Culturel Saint Exupéry,* Libreville, [[Gabon]].
* *Ouag'Art,* Ouagadougou, [[Burkina Faso]].
* *Ingénieuse Afrique, Musée des Civilisations,* Canada, [[Ivory Coast]], [[Senegal]], Benin.
* *Agnès b.,* Paris, France.
* *Art Vaudou, Galerie de Nesle,* Paris, France.

=== Solo exhibitions ===

* *Simonet Biokou, Centre Culturel Français,* [[Cotonou]], Benin.
* *Bangui, Centre-Afrique Ambassade des Etats-Unis,* Cotonou, Benin.
* *Centre Culturel Franco-Nigérien,* Niamey, [[Niger]].
* *Gatobar,* Lomé, [[Togo]].
* *Club des Nations Unies,* Cotonou, Benin.

== Collections ==

* *Jura Isabelle Art Gallery*
* *Contemporary art Museum of Liège*
== References ==


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== Read further ==

* *Benín''. Spain, Alhenamedia, 2020.
* “Simonet BIOKOU (Bénin).” Article27.
* Culture et talents du Bénin: itinéraires et rencontres. France, Somogy, 2009.
* Forte, Jung Ran. “Marketing Vodun. Cultural Tourism and Dreams of Success in Contemporary Benin (Commercialisation Du Vaudou. Tourisme Culturel et Rêves de Réussite Dans Le Bénin Contemporain).” Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 49, no. 193/194, 2009, pp.&nbsp;429–51. JSTOR.
* Goussanou, Rossila. "Tourist visits and misappropriations of the past on the Slave Route in Ouidah", Ethnologie française, vol. 50, no. 1, 2020, pp.&nbsp;65–76.
* Harmattan 2000: Art Contemporain Au Bénin. Centre culturel français. 2000. pp. 38–41.
* Rémy, Mylène. Le Gabon aujourd'hui .... France, Editions du Jaguar, 1996.
## External links

* Simonet Biokou for Instagram top

*Simonet Biokou's statues for sale