This exhibition is presented at the Musée des Arts Derniers, a gallery specialized in African photography run by Olivier Sultan. On this occasion, unpublished prints are shown from important artists in African photography: Seydou Keita, Malick Sidibé or Jean Depara.

As well as other artists less known in France such as Luis Basto, Berry Bickle, Darryl Evans, Calvin Dondo, Mamadou Konate, known as “Pigeon”, Oumal Ly, Jurgen Shadrberg, Olivier Sultan and Martial Verdier. African photography, traditional as we have come to call it, is recognizable immediately by the solemnity of the poses and the relationship between the photographer and the photographed.

“A long tradition often ignored” states Olivier Sultan in the brochure introduction, “While photography in Africa appeared since its origins (for instance, in Egypt, since 1839), and more recently in places such as Abyssinia, Accra, Lagos, or South Africa, the critical view has appeared only lately, without a doubt thanks to the recontextualization of the work of photographers such as Malick Sidibé or Seydou Feita, displayed in the 1980’s in the Museums of Modern Art in Paris or New York. Photographers of this transitional generation have slowly taken this evolution into consideration, developing in parallel more aesthetic projects (for example, the “back views” series by Malick Sidibé in the early 90’s, or even his image selection of technically “faulty” pictures from the series “It’s not my fault”, set aside especially for international exhibitions)…

In Africa, being a studio photographer is a respected profession, a high social status. He is the keeper of the visual memory of a community and the guarantor of both the individual’s identity and the social urban evolution. The photographer is chosen for his abilities of mediator, of social interpreter, of middle man that is more than a crafty technician, an icon craftsman…”

Bernard Perrine
Correspondant of the Institut of France
BernardPerrine@Le-Photographe.net

OBJECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, photographs from:
Luis BASTO, Berry BICKLE, Jean DEPARA, Calvin DONDO, Mamadou KONATE
Oumal LY, Jurgen SCHADEBERG, Malick SIDIBE, Olivier SULTAN, Martial VERDIER

Until March 20
Musée des Arts Derniers 

28 rue Saint Gilles
75003 Paris