And melody through the lens
Each time a portrait is made, a story is created. This makes it important to have myriad subject matters explored by a multitude of artists. The hope is that, with more diverse stories told through the lens of those closest to their own experiences, the exploitation of narratives will fall out of language.
In an attempt to bring a multiplicity of voices and stories, this year the LagosPhoto Festival brings together 22 photographers from 18 countries, each forming an individual melody that harmonise with the others.
The photographers are: Malala Andrialavidrazana (Madagascar/ France), Emmanuelle Andrianjafy (Madagascar), Ismaïl Bahri (Tunisia/ France), Sandra Brewster (Canada/ Guyana), Kwena Chokoe (SouthAfrica/Myanmar), CrazinisT (Ghana/ Togo), Adji Dieye (Italy/ Senegal), Ndidi Dike (Nigeria), Michele Pearson Clarke (Canada/Trinidad), Mary Evans (United Kingdom/ Nigeria), Abosede George (Nigeria/ United States), Mathilde ter Heijne (Holland/Germany), Amanda Iheme (Nigeria), Alfredo Jaar (Chile), Cassandra Klos (US), Kitso Lynn Lelliott (Botswana), Amina Menia (Algeria), Emo de Medeiros (Benin), Karl Ohiri (UK/Nigeria), Olu Olatunde (Nigeria), Chibuike Uzoma (Nigeria), Charlotte Yonga (France/ Cameroon) and Sethembile Msezane (South Africa).
Azu Nwagbogu, the chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town and founder of the LagosPhoto Festival, describes photography as “the definitive medium of our time”. Photography is a powerful medium for visual storytelling, communicating the depth of emotion that is created by manipulating light and darkness. It remains a powerful medium for Africans looking for opportunities to create, selfrepresent and self-empower.
Through this medium, photographers are better able to capture the fabric and rhythm of the cities, towns and villages they come from.
With this potential to articulate reality comes possibilities of distortion and perversion, thereby putting a greater responsibility on viewers to remain critical and questioning.
What happens when we photograph the body? Which bodies do we choose to photograph? What happens when we photograph the absence of the body or obstructed views of the body? When is photo-graphy used as a means towards performance of an identity? Who is performing and who is watching?