Lagos photo festival
Celebrated Cameroonian-born photographer Samuel Fosso, famous for his compelling self-portraits, has had his work exhibited in major museums across the world -- from New York and Paris to London and Buenos Aires.
Yet Fosso’s thought-provoking creations, in which he transforms into characters ranging from symbols of black identity to pop culture icons, had never been exhibited in Nigeria, the country he grew up in but had to flee at a young age to escape the Biafran War in the late 1960s.
Celebrated Cameroonian-born photographer Samuel Fosso, famous for his compelling self-portraits, has had his work exhibited in major museums across the world -- from New York and Paris to London and Buenos Aires.
Yet Fosso’s thought-provoking creations, in which he transforms into characters ranging from symbols of black identity to pop culture icons, had never been exhibited in Nigeria, the country he grew up in but had to flee at a young age to escape the Biafran War in the late 1960s.
Not any longer. Fosso, who now lives and works in the Central African
Republic, has chosen the LagosPhoto Festival for the global premiere of
his latest photographic series, “The Emperor of Africa.” In his latest
work, the award-winning artist uses his constructed images to explore
the relationship between Africa and China by assuming the part of
Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
“We are very excited to have him,” says Joseph Gergel, one of the festival’s curators. “He is one of the biggest names in photography on the continent.”
“We are very excited to have him,” says Joseph Gergel, one of the festival’s curators. “He is one of the biggest names in photography on the continent.”
Running for the fourth consecutive year, LagosPhoto features more than
50 photographers and artists from 15 countries, including Martin Parr,
Kudzanai Chiurai, Cristina de Middel, Jerome Delay and Cyrus Kabiru.
The month-long event, described as the first and only international festival of photography in Nigeria, revolves around a series of exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, panel discussions and displays of outdoor prints throughout Lagos, as well as an amateurs’ competition designed to help young Nigerian photographers develop their talents.
The month-long event, described as the first and only international festival of photography in Nigeria, revolves around a series of exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, panel discussions and displays of outdoor prints throughout Lagos, as well as an amateurs’ competition designed to help young Nigerian photographers develop their talents.
“The festival is really a platform for a myriad of different
activities,” says Gergel. “They’re all focused on engaging the emerging
community of photographers and contemporary artists and give them a
voice,” he adds.
“The real goal of LagosPhoto is not only in the work that we show but also to show that there’s another side of Nigeria -- there’s another side of Africa -- and we hope that spreading that message will lead to positive change.”
“The real goal of LagosPhoto is not only in the work that we show but also to show that there’s another side of Nigeria -- there’s another side of Africa -- and we hope that spreading that message will lead to positive change.”
This year, LagosPhoto is exploring the theme “The Megacity and the
Non-City,” looking at how the growth of African urban centers and the
technical advance of photography have transformed the sense of place in
an interconnected world.
Gergel says the theme explores both the documentary tradition of photography and the artistic practices that examine the circulation of images in today’s culture.
Gergel says the theme explores both the documentary tradition of photography and the artistic practices that examine the circulation of images in today’s culture.
“It also explores two sides of the city,” he adds. “One that is
informed by vast changes taking place at an unprecedented speed, such as
population explosion, urban development, socioeconomic gaps, and the
rising middle class, and the other that is defined by the internet, the
digital revolution and virtual connectivity.” The competition ended
yesterday.
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