Commentary on the memorial work La Porte du Retour (the Return Door) on the island of Gorée (Senegal)

In 2012, during an artistic residency on the island of Gorée, visual artist Migline Paroumanou created a commemorative installation entitled The Return Door.

This white door facing the ocean was conceived as a symbolic response to the Door of the “Voyage of No Return.” It embodied the possibility of return and the restored dignity to the women, men and children snatched away from their lands.

The artist hoped it would become a symbol of the return of the souls too long in exile: a glimmer of hope, a space for inner reconciliation and healing for those Afro-descendants, a place where the past comes back to soothe memories and make possible personal reconstruction.

Created using modest means and ephemeral materials, the work remained in place far longer than anticipated. Marked by time and the elements, it now needs to be rebuilt.

Through her encounters on the island, the artist became aware of the depth of the inhabitants’ attachment to The Return Door. Its symbolic power and the place it occupied in their daily lives strengthened her determination to rebuild it, giving it a lasting and definitive presence in the landscape of Gorée.

Alexandre Boutié’s documentary, presented on the occasion of the 8th edition of Gran 20 Désanm (celebration of 20th December), is an invitation to follow this symbolic journey.