A new contemporary art museum has opened in Ivory Coast's UNESCO-listed beachside town of Grand-Bassam in a building that is a remnant of its colonial past.

Twenty-eight artists from nine African countries feature in the inaugural exhibition of paintings, sculpture, photography and design at La Maison de l'art (The House of Art).

The former post office and customs building has been overhauled respecting its colonial-era architecture of red earth bricks, large wooden windows and high ceilings.

It has two permanent exhibition spaces as well as a temporary one and offers a residency for artists with a workshop and meeting rooms.

"This is what we, as artists, are looking for: homes to welcome us, to receive our work, to discuss, exchange and enrich ourselves. In fact, it's a gathering plac

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