Marie-Hélène Tusiama

An image of Marie-Hélène Tusiama at Cecile Fhakoury.

My last interview took place on a video call on Instagram with Marie-Hélène Tusiama. Our interview took place on video because I have already returned back to the New York. Marie-Hélène is the founder of the Instagram page Archives Ivoire, which is a digital archive of Ivorian women on TV dramas and films, dating from the early 90s and 00s. She also works at the art galerie Cecile Fhakoury as the social media manager. Archives Ivoire was born out of her dissertation. She was researching African women who have transgressive behaviors. Particularly women with money and have the privilege to do what they want. Nollybabe was a huge inspiration behind Archives Ivoire, she was interested in creating an archive that centered around Ivorian women. She states “I wanted to create something I could relate to.” She began her archive by searching through YouTube and screenshotting images and posting it on Instagram. At the heart of Archives Ivoire, it highlights the interpersonal relationships between women. Marie continues to highlight Ivorian women in style, sass, sensuality and autonomy. Archives Ivoire is not only an archival page on instagram, she has hosted film screenings and collaborated with Le Pic a and recently she contributed an essay and archival images for the publication Air Afrique.

Her Instagram page represents what a digital archival repository could look like through representation and story-telling. Her archival page reflects on the past and also is an entry into a fantasy and a possibility of different ways of being.

Rosy Noah and Magali Ohouens

Last Day in Abidjan