This past summer art took over in several cities as Benin inaugurated it's own nation-wide biennial. Called Regard 1.0, it was sponsored and organised by the Benin Ministry of Culture and CultureFrance and took place in the nation's major cities (Cotonou, Porto Novo, etc.). The event was part of a wider series of independence celebrations in this former French colony and featured other African and international artists in addition to local talent. Far from being a quaint grouping of traditional artisans, this was an ambitious festival that showcased a diversity of media, including photography, cinema and conceptual installations.On the existential side of things, Gérard Quenum exhibited his series of dolls, Les Poupées. Using old-fashioned dolls, Quenum creates sculptural collages that address some of the darker aspects of contemporary life in Benin. Their titles as much as their physicality force the viewer to consider the harshness of daily reality. The stark contrast between innocence and grime in the works is intended to underline the suffering of children in particular. The uncertainty of life and the dangers posed by violence and poverty are expressed throughout the series. The image below, Risque (Risk) , communicates very succintly Quenum's view of life in modern Africa: a tenuous and unpredictable reality that can be equally hopeful or threatening.
Being a huge fan of photography, I would also like to draw attention to two very talented photographers who participated in the biennial.
The first is Malick Sidibé, a Malian photographer who has been working since the 1950's. For honest, authentic portraits you can't top Sidibé's work. His work embodies his vision very well, presenting a joyous and youthful face for his country throughout the '60's and '70's. His photos are as much portraiture as documentary and they give a very close-up glimpse of life in Mali in the latter half of the 20th century.Sidibé's photos are all incredible and I encourage you to take a look at his other works here.
The other photographer, Baudouin Mouanda, is a Congolese artist who has recently done a series of work on Congolese dandys, known as sapeurs. These are men who pride themselves on wearing the most expensive clothing brands and displaying their style on a daily basis, no matter the occasion or location; there is a brief explanation here.
As you can see above, the subjects of Mouanda's photographs make for some very colourful images. There are more examples of his work here.Of what I was able to read from various online sources, these would have been some of the highlights of Regard 1.0. It'll be very exciting to see how this event develops in the future. Hosting a biennial is a great way to generate interest in a city, or in this case, a country and the goal is to put Benin on the map. So perhaps instead of Venice you can reserve your big art fair vacation for Cotonou next time.
I'll leave you with a short clip from a 2006 documentary, Dolce Vita Africana. It shows Malick Sidibé at work in his studio and he gives his opinion on what makes good photography; I wish more artists thought like him.
