AFR O TOPI A

18_12_2020 / 30_5_2021 Afrotopia is a collective exhibition that came about as the result of a photography project carried out in late 2017 under the ACERCA programme of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), which provides training in the field of culture in order to bolster this sector in countries prioritised by Spain for cooperation, such as Mali, Senegal and Niger. In this case, students were trained in techniques and use of digital cameras with support provided by Spanish photographer Héctor Mediavilla, who coordinated the training programme and planned the exhibition that finalised the project.

By interpreting the concept of Afrotopia, each participant created a personal project that encouraged reflections on their future and Africa’s contribution to a globalised world. Starting with this premise, the resulting projects by 35 young people from Senegal, Niger and Mali logically offer a diverse range of styles and themes, but what they have in common is their view of Africa seen through fresh eyes and with new hopes and ideas, and their ability to speak to us about the continent’s present and future. The project also incorporated the perspective of gender through both the themes of the photos and the participants themselves, and the strong presence of women in the programme is an indication of the process of change they are experiencing in Africa.

This can be appreciated in this edition of the exhibition, whose format differs from those held previously. For the current edition, the museum has chosen to exhibit the images intermingled with the pieces from the African collection. In this way, the contemporary images of Africa ‘converse’ with and complement the story that we are told by the objects from different African cultures, establishing a dialogue and a connection between tradition and modernity. TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY AFRICA: THE SAME SIDE OF THE SAME COIN

As Ryszard Kapuscinski says in his book The Shadow of the Sun, which is quoted by Hector Mediavilla, “The continent is too large to describe.” The fact is that Africa cannot be simplified to a single definition that limits its great diversity and cultural wealth. We could say that there is one Africa for every ethnic group, every celebration, every belief, every custom... It is a continent comprising many others in which traditions persist and are strengthened, but not without looking ahead to the future. The essence of Africa is its peoples and its cultures – in short, its traditional values. There is no doubt that they form the most solid foundations on which to construct the continent of the present and the future, a continent where the traditional and the contemporary are actually the same side of the same coin.

BINDÊ (Silhouette) HAIDAR CHAMS (“FROMAHII”) (Dakar, Senegal, 1977)

Haidar Chams expresses the cultural diversity of Africa in his photography project by reflecting part of the great variety of ethnic groups in Senegal, where there are about twenty such groups, each with their own languages. Chams highlights some of these ethnic groups, capturing silhouettes of different people in his photographs. The chiaroscuro lighting makes the silhouettes of these faces poetic, strong and silent.

CLOTHING AND ADORNMENT: SYMBOLS OF CULTURE AND IDENTITY

Although the use of Western-style fabrics and clothing has become mainstream in Africa today, each ethnic group continues to preserve its traditional dress as one of its distinguishing features. Each group uses its own clothes, fabrics and colours to differentiate it from the others and to ‘speak’ of its people, customs and religion, as well as social standing, marital status and the specific ceremonies in which they are used. In this sense, clothing, together with adornments and body art, have both a practical and a clearly symbolic purpose.

Before industrially manufactured fabrics and materials were imported into the continent, traditional clothing was made by hand using natural materials such as plant fibres and organic matter, fruit peels, feathers, shells and animal skins, as can be seen in the objects exhibited in the display cases and in the accompanying photographs. Those natural materials were also processed using traditional crafts. And although they have gradually been falling into disuse, they refuse to die and, in many cases, are today even being revived and promoted as models of sustainable trade at the local level.

COLOURS IN MOVEMENT HANDCRAFTING BALKA SANDALS ASSANE SOW ABDOU MIKO (“DOULLAH”) (Touba, Senegal, 1972) (Niamey, Níger, 1974)

Every year, the Serer community of Touba The photographer’s intention behind Toul perpetuates tradition by holding the GURMA TRADITIONAL DRESS this project was to show the process of ritual Fil or ‘thread’ ceremony as winter KONATÉ OUSMANE TIDJANI handcrafting a sandal from goat or sheep approaches. (Niamey, Níger, 1974) hide in his hometown. Balka sandals are a speciality of his region but are worn The traditional dress of Niger’s ethnic groups is rich throughout Niger. and varied. Generally long or loose, these costumes are worn by men and women for important events: religious festivals, such as Ramadan and Tabaski; national holidays; and during celebratory ceremonies, such as baptism or marriage. These ethnic groups are proud to wear their traditional dress because it expresses their identity. THERE MUST ALWAYS BE MUSIC IN AFRICA

Music is an inseparable part of life in Africa, where it is a means of passing on knowledge and celebrating individual and collective events. It is not a complementary addition; rather, it is an essential part of every action and every person. In this context, music is used by Africans at different levels. It may be a form of entertainment, in which case it is usually performed by an individual soloist, the troubadour or griot playing such instruments as a harp or sanza. But music also plays a very important role in spiritual life, which is always present in the life of Africans. As part of a ritual, music is played by the group. It is associated with initiation rites, where it plays a mediating role between the community and the spiritual world.

THE NEW FACES OF AFRICAN WOMEN MOCTAR BA (Dakar, Senegal, 1989)

Playing music on instruments has traditionally been seen as the role of men in Africa. However, today we can also see African women devoted to this, as reflected in this image by Moctar Ba. Despite the difficulties that women in Africa today still encounter with regard to education and finding employment outside the home, they are making inroads into increasingly diverse activities and also as entrepreneurs. Moctar Ba’s photography project actually came about after observing the process by which African women are becoming emancipated, particularly in the continent’s large cities.

Not always child’s play

African societies place special importance on playing games, as this is considered a way of learning to live in society. There is a great variety of games and pastimes to be found all over Africa. There are games that are played individually or collectively, and others that are not always open to general participation; these are sometimes restricted exclusively by sex, age or standing within the community. Where children’s toys are concerned, they are also very diverse and in many cases home-made using recycled materials, such as cars or dolls. Some of those dolls have magical rather than entertainment purposes, which are used by girls and adolescents to serve as symbols of fertility and motherhood.

IN MY DREAM NDEYE ASTOU BEYÉ (“BEY-A”) (Touba Toul, Senegal, 1975)

Toys are not always child’s play, particularly when it comes to the children known as talibés, mostly from Mauritania, Niger, Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Guinea. This is the name given to children who are disciples of a teacher or a religious guide, known as a marabout, in Koranic schools. When attending these schools free of charge, talibés are sent out to beg in order to contribute to the upkeep of the school. This practice has many detractors because it violates the rights of the children by forcing them to beg for hours in the street. Bey-A, the president of the Taxawu Talibé association, leads the fight to help the talibés in their daily lives. His project In My Dream advocates a world where children can enjoy their innocence and be happy playing games, relieved from the heavy burden of carrying a begging bowl in order to obtain a daily pittance. THE TRADITIONAL VALUES OF AFRICAN CULTURE

Traditional culture is one of the pillars on which Africans have been building up their current identity. In it, a prominent role is played by the ancestral religions that pre-date the arrival of Christianity and Islam, animistic cults and practices based on the belief in a world where material objects possess a soul or have a living spirit associated with them. The soul or spirit may belong to an ancestor, who, having become an object of worship, has the power to bring good or bad consequences upon the living. Spirits are intermediaries between both worlds and people can only communicate with them through rituals.

This is what happens in Yoruba culture. During their gelede festival – a ceremonial mask from which is displayed here – certain women mediate between the human and the divine. The ritual involves masquerade performances that reveal the role of the ancestors who are dedicated to maintaining social balance (egungun), the importance of honouring the power of women (gelede) and the duty of young people to pass on their cultural legacy (epa).

THE TRANSITION OUSMANE GOÏTA (Bamako, Mali, 1993)

The subject of passing on tradition by young people is what Ousmane Goïta deals with in his photography project, where special emphasis is placed on the importance of the role women play in this process. The photographer stresses the importance of preserving traditional values of African culture while on the path to building a modern Africa. Because, as Ousmane says, ‘cultural values are the oxygen and the essence of peoples’.

Religion: diversity, tradition and respect

The present-day reality of religion in Africa is the result of a series of historical events in which Islam and Christianity, together with other minority faiths such as Judaism, came to join traditional animistic beliefs. The European colonisation of Africa changed the religious practices of the continent, not only because it imposed Christianity and monotheistic beliefs, but also because it gave rise to new forms of mixed beliefs resulting from the fusion of religious elements from different cultures. There is now a variety of beliefs and the African continent is generally characterised by good religious coexistence. This is an essential value for Africans because it ensures what they consider to be a priority: social harmony.

However, in the context of this religious reality, there are also things that are changing, again at the hands of young Africans who live their spirituality with greater flexibility than their elders do. This is the case, for instance, with many young Muslim women in the twenty-first century who are speaking out publicly in defence of a more contemporary interpretation of the role of women according to Islamic precepts.

THE TRANSITION OUSMANE GOÏTA (Bamako, Mali, 1993) The cycle of life and rites

Rites are present in all of life’s events, and the different stages of the life cycle highlight the relationship between social order and religious life by marking the transition of the individual in society from one state to another. Birth, puberty, marriage and death are governed by specific rituals for the purpose of acknowledging individuals by the entire group. These rites of passage are present in all African cultures, many of them since ancient times. They are rituals in which communication with the supernatural world and ancestors play a major role, and in which music and dance take place as a common feature.

COLOURS IN MOVEMENT ASSANE SOW (Touba, Senegal, 1972)

The Fil ceremony, captured in the photographs taken by Assane Sow, is an ancient ritual. Held every year in the town of Touba Toul, Senegal, by the Serer community and lasting four days, the Fil or ‘Thread’ ceremony brings together initiates in a ritual of divination, prayer, music and dance. During this ceremony, the events that will take place throughout the year are predicted before the arrival of winter, while warding off evil and praying for fertility and prosperity.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Despite Africa’s imports of manufactured goods today, traditional systems of local production have always played an important role in the economic development of the continent. These make use of natural resources from the local area for the manufacture of domestic utensils that are sold by local businesses. Compared to imported products, local production and consumption is more economical and creates more jobs for local people, as well as contributing to the reduction of pollution by being fully sustainable.

ALL VALUE IS WEALTH SOULEYMANE DIALLO (Bamako, Mali, 1995)

‘Deep in the jungle of Mali, I discovered a simple and majestic dream. That of my Fula brothers, who for centuries have helped to feed Africa with a herd of naturally raised cows...’

POTTERY INDUSTRY LAWALI ABDOU MAMAN (“LAWALI RASTA”) (Zinder, Niger, 1994)

Mirriah, the chief town of the district that is located eighteen kilometres from Zinder, is where the famous potter Ibrahim Ibro lives. This shaper of clay – who was born in Mirriah in 1962, is married to two women and has fathered a dozen children – is from a long line of renowned potters. For this craftsman, art is a useful skill for everyone to have. In search of a better life

The nomadic way of life, particularly in the Sahara Desert, gradually diminished during the period of European colonisation, and many of the peoples who practised this style of subsistence became semi-nomadic and even turned into completely sedentary communities. The nomadic economy is traditionally based on small-scale trading and distribution, and rearing livestock for milk, wool and hides. The latter is a vital raw material in nomadic life as it is used to make all sorts of household objects. As they are constantly on the move, these communities only take what is essential and, in any case, whatever can fit into their tassoufra, which is like a travel bag or ‘suitcase’ of the desert.

That tassoufra, symbolising the journey, makes us think in some way of the people who migrate and the hardships they suffer. In spite of the distances, it cannot be denied that migration has something of that wandering nomadic life, which speaks to us of uncertainty, insecurity and the lack of basic resources. For nomads and migrants, the Sahara desert is a backdrop to their lives, and through it pass several of the routes that take Africans, often unsuccessfully, to their dream destinations.

ONE FRAME, ONE DREAM Dreams have no limits FATOUMATA TRAORÉ (Bata Traoré) (Markala, Mali, 1994)

Through this series, the photographer intends to show that dreams have no borders, and that Africans have the same ambitions and dreams as anybody else in the world.

Life is full of second chances

Because they are easy to source and given their practical shape, bottle gourds have been traditionally used to make household items in many Sub-Saharan African cultures. There is no doubt that the bottle gourd is a good example of recycling, but there are many other objects, such as the cans in the picture, that are given a second life. Another widely used raw material in Africa is plant fibre, which is woven with basketry techniques into a multitude of objects. Along with pottery, basketry is one of the oldest crafts in Africa, and it is typically women’s work.

LOCAL PRODUCTION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PETER ABORISADE ADEYEMI LAWRENCE (“REA MISE”) (Niamey, Niger, 1989)

Photographer Rea Mise highlights the fact that Africa is rich in raw materials, such as gold ore, metals, coal, etc. If allowed to be managed locally, production would be cheaper and, together with local consumption, would contribute to improving the lives of producers and their economic development.

THE MONEY BOX MOUSSA KÉLANI ROUFAI (Niamey, Niger, 1967)

‘In Africa, almost everything we consume comes from far-off places. There are people in Niger who collect the containers used to package products and turn them into utilitarian objects, such as a money box. The picture shows the use and usefulness of this recycled object. Saving means looking to the future.’ THE YOUNG TAKE A STEP FORWARD

In the context of Equatorial African cultures, power has typically been associated with household objects, such as the richly decorated wooden seats or chieftain’s staffs that can be seen in the display case, which have also always been considered a symbol of male authority, never female.

But the power we want to speak about here is not a question of individual superiority, nor is it something limited to men alone. It is about the power of a people to change the continent on which they live and to make it a better place. It is the power of young African men and women, who hold the future of Africa in their hands. This is an assertion filled with hope and optimism, and it is further supported by statistics that show 60 per cent of the population of Africa is made up of young people under the age of 30. How can we not then think of a future filled with possibilities? No better educated than just a few decades ago, Africa’s youth is courageous, full of ideals and dreams, and socially committed; they are taking responsibility for advancing the continent and striving to bring different initiatives and projects to fruition. This is a task in which young African women are also involved. Although females have traditionally been tied to the home, they are now also beginning to find their place in the workforce and, above all, their power to decide on the careers they want to have is growing by the day. Both men and women are well aware that Africans themselves have to work for Africa, guided by their history, values and traditions.

However, there are still many obstacles to achieving this, and it is still difficult to access education and skilled jobs, and to obtain financial support that will allow young people to bring their dreams to life within their own countries, without feeling pressured to emigrate. All this is driving the youth of Africa, who are dissatisfied with the situation and abusive policies of governments, to raise their voices and take charge through social and political activist movements that seek to foster a more democratic society.

There is no denying that there is much to be done and to be improved, but change is already here. It could come under the title of the message by Youssouf Traoré, one of the photographers in the Afrotopia project, who, as he looks to the future of Africa, wishes ‘long life to the conscious and hard-working youth of Africa’.

INSPIRATION FADIO TRAORÉ (Negala, Mali, 1989)

‘African youth must be inspired by the great leaders who have left their mark on the history of this continent, in order to build a faster-growing and more developed Africa. Whoever knows where they come from will know where to go.’ THE CHOICE TAGAROR WALLET MOHAMED (Dakar, Senegal, 1992)

Unlike their mothers, young women in Africa today have the opportunity to choose the career they want. This is why I chose this 20-year-old woman to illustrate different jobs, to show the ‘choice’ this young woman has made to work in the job she likes.’

INTEGRATION MARIAM NIARE (Bamako, Mali, 1997)

‘Albinism is an inherited genetic condition that affects pigmentation and is caused by the body’s inability to produce melanin. It occurs in mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles. Because of this disorder, they are often discriminated against. They were once considered ghosts to be worshipped... they could never integrate, which is why I’m appealing for their integration, since they are totally normal people.’

EMERGING WOMEN MOUSSA SAMAKE (“SAM MOUSSA”) (Kati, Mali, 1989)

‘Women play a crucial social role in Africa’s development. A woman is a sign of procreation, she is the mother of humanity. Emancipation will make her more autonomous, which means that she will enjoy all her functions as the foundations for development. Today, it is important to see women evolve in different fields of activity that were previously reserved for men. Women can assert their abilities and do their part.’ THE CHOICE TAGAROR WALLET MOHAMED (Dakar, Senegal, 1992)

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT Committed youth! AMADOU DIABAGATE (Bamako, Niaré, Mali, 1997)

‘This series of photos shows a committed Africa emerging from the shadows. It shows faces that point to the future of a young, improved, brave and energetic Africa, and hands reaching out for the development of an entire continent.’ 18_12_2020 / 30_5_2021

Museo Nacional de Antropología C/Alfonso XII, 68 (28014, Madrid)

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