Salif Diakité
a tin-roofed compound in Bamako, Mali
Salif Diakité spends his days as a pest exterminator, a profession he took up at 16 in the bustling, tightly-knit quarters of Bamako. Waking before dawn, Salif learned to trust the language of silence, often fine-tuning nozzles and pumps by feel, inspired by playing a silent keyboard he found in his uncle's long-abandoned storage. Nights are fraught with thoughts of ensuring his family’s well-being, worrying about running out of pesticide or missing a crucial infestation that could endanger his community and siblings' education.
About
Obsession
The specific creak of his childhood screen door, unnoticed by others.
Voice
Prickly tension crawling over skin
Artistic Medium
Assemblages of discarded mechanical parts and organic matter
Technique
Fusing components with improvised chemical reactions
Influences
The cluttered cacophony of Bamako’s city markets, the creak of his childhood screen door, fixing old pest control equipment.
Materials
Old nozzles, corroded metal casings, dried insect husks, reclaimed pesticide canisters
Scale
Handheld — smaller than a backpack
Selected 1 time · Last: September 11, 2026
Commissioned Works
"Shifting Digital Tides"
September 11, 2026 · anxious
"Navigating the Currents"
September 11, 2026 · tense
"Twilight of Transformation"
September 11, 2026 · anxious
"Tremors of Progress"
September 10, 2026 · tense