PHOTOSA : 16 photographers take over family courtyards of Ouagadougou
They will be exhibiting their work at the 2nd Ouagadougou Photography Biennial, PHOTOSA, from March 16 to 20.
By editorial staff
Two observations underlie the creation of PHOTOSA in 2021 and its installation in living spaces such as family courtyards, public spaces and working-class neighborhoods in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Firstly, photo exhibitions only attract the « privileged » (rich, Western/Westernized, artists). Secondly, despite free access, these events do not attract large crowds.
« As in the first edition, the host families were closely involved in the organization”
Born in 2021 under the impetus of the Burkinabè photographer Adrien Bitibaly and the Cercle des Photographes du Burkina Faso, the 2nd Ouagadougou Photographic Biennial, PHOTOSA, took place from March 16 to 20, 2023. On this occasion, 16 photographers came to exhibit their works in family courtyards, in the public space around the cinema of wemtenga and in the adjacent streets.
As in the first edition, the host families were closely involved in the organization. Photographs were offered to them free of charge so that they could become part of their space. Each family participates in the organization of the exhibition and the opening, and invites their neighbors, friends and relatives. The artists who travel to the event do educational work with the families who host their work, in order to present their work and their artistic approach.
The works of Kani Sissoko, Julia Gat, Adrien Bitibaly, Antoine Tempé, Issa Zoné, David Pace, Philippe et Jacques, Gaëlle Delort, Massow, Nicolas Derné, Soum Éveline Bonkoungou, Chiara Wettman, Boureima Regtoumda, Delphine Blast and Nyaba Léon Ouédraog were presented.
« PHOTOSA invites the public to break down the barriers that still separate Burkinabe from art photography”
« PHOTOSA invites the public to appropriate the images on display and to question the shared narratives in order to break down the barrier that still separates Burkinabè citizens from art photography. By accompanying everyone in their relationship with the photographic image, PHOTOSA promotes the appropriation of photography in Burkinabè homes through exhibitions, workshops and lecture series that reach into living spaces with the complicity of their inhabitants, » says Adrien Bitibaly.
PHOTOSA also offers training to photographers, budding photographers and exhibition curators.
