Dr Julie Bonzon introduces her initiative promoting emerging photographic artists across Africa
The Photographic Collective is a not-for-profit initiative designed to present the work and connect lens-based artists living and working in Africa, especially those who are not currently represented by a gallery. The Collective exists as a group of individuals and as a digital entity and aspires to become a source of information and knowledge, alternative to and complementing mainstream and established institutions.
Having conducted research on contemporary South African Photography for my PhD thesis, and following discussions with many artists based on the continent, I came to realise that most of the work that I was seeing in Europe, in exhibitions and art fairs, tended to be from artists who were already established. The Collective was born from a wish to fill this gap and launched in June 2020.
The Photographic Collective is composed of an advisory board including Jabulani Dhlamini (South Africa), Laura El-Tantawy (Egypt), Lebohang Kganye (South Africa), Ala Kheir (Sudan), Laila Hida (Morocco), Michelle Loukidis (South Africa), Mário Macilau (Mozambique), Uche Okpa-Iroha (Nigeria), Nii Obodai (Ghana and Mozambique), Léonard Pongo (DRC) and Rijasolo (Madagascar).
Together we exchange ideas, debate and vote on which two emerging artists to present on our Instagram page and website each month. We also collaborate with cultural partners such as Of Soul and Joy, Afrique In Visu, Cité des Arts (La Réunion), Through the Lens Collective, Fondation Zinsou and Oath Magazine, to help us meet our objectives and grow the platform.
The artists selected express the incredible variety of lens-based and artistic practices across the continent, such as Ibrahim Ahmed (Egypt), Nonzuzo Gxekwa (South Africa), Maheder Haileselassie (Ethiopia), Pippa Hetherington (South Africa), Godelive Kabena Kasangati (DRC), Amina Kadous (Egypt), Matt Kay (South Africa), Lorraine Kalassa (South Africa), Amilton Neves (Mozambique) and Etinosa Yvonne (Nigeria). In addition to offering them visibility, we also give guidance, host conversations and publish interviews.
The Photographic Collective is expanding, online and offline. In October we presented the work of ten artists in an exhibition curated by Laura El-Tantawy and myself in the special project section of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London. And in November, the work of 14 artists featured in Home Museum, an online exhibition organised by LagosPhoto.
Digital exposure is essential, especially in the face of Covid-19 restrictions, in order for the work of the artists to be accessible to people in every part of the world. The extremely challenging times we are currently living in make our mission to connect with artists and photographers and create a network of solidarity between cultural practitioners even more poignant.