Always Moving Forward Contemporary African Photography from the Wedge Collection Curated by Kenneth Montague gallery 44, toronto | Platform, winnipeg | Art Gallery of Peterborough Mohamed Bourouissa Always Moving Forward May 1 to 29, 2010 Contemporary African Photography Gallery 44 Mohamed Camara from the Wedge Collection Centre for Contemporary Photography 401 Richmond St. W, Suite 120 © 2010, Mohamed Bourouissa, Mohamed Toronto, ON M5V 3A8 Calvin Dondo Camara, Calvin Dondo, Samuel Fosso, November 3 to December 10, 2011 Hassan Hajjaj, Bouchra Khalili, Antony PLATFORM centre for Kimani, Lebohang Mashiloane, Aïda photographic + digital arts Muluneh, Dawit L. Petros, Zwelethu Samuel Fosso 121-100 Arthur St. Mthethwa, Guy Tillim, Andrew Winnipeg, MB R3B 1H3 Tshabangu, Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko, and Pamela Edmonds January 13 to March 4, 2012 Hassan Hajjaj curator Kenneth Montague Always Art Gallery of Peterborough exhibition coordinator Maria Kanellopoulos ISBN 978-0-9738294-9-5 250 Crescent St. Peterborough, ON K9J 2G1 All images courtesy of Dr Kenneth Montague / The Wedge Collection Bouchra Khalili Wedge Curatorial Projects would like to thank the artists, Moving as well as the following galleries: Essay Pamela Edmonds Mohamed Bourrissa | Galeries les filles du calvaire, Paris Antony Kimani managing editor Mohamed Camara | Galerie Pierre Brullé, Paris Alice Dixon Forward Calvin Dondo | Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg Lebohang Mashiloane copy Editors Samuel Fosso | Galerie Jean Marc Patras, Paris Alice Dixon, Gaye Jackson Hassan Hajjaj | Rose Issa, London / Third Line, Dubai Design Bouchra Khalili | Galerie of Marseille, Marseille Aïda Muluneh Zab Design & Typography Antony Kimani cover Lebohang Mashiloane Dawit L. Petros Zwelethu Mthethwa, Untitled, 2000 Zwelethu Mthethwa | Jack Shainman Gallery, New York Aïda Muluneh | Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg inside covers Dawit L. Petros | Alexander Gray Associates, New York Zwelethu Mthethwa Hassan Hajjaj, repeated detail from Nido Bouchra, 2009 Guy Tillim | Michael Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town next spread Andrew Tshabangu | Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg Guy Tillim Andrew Tshabangu, Butchery, Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko | Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg Traders and Taxis (detail), 2003 Printing Andrew Tshabangu David Schulman, Shapco Printing, Inc. Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko Always Moving Forward 4 5 Directors’ Foreword 4 This catalogue documents Always The photographic works presented are We would like to acknowledge the fourteen participating artists. Thank you 5 Moving Forward: Contemporary African recent additions to the Wedge Collection support of the Consulate General of France to David Schulman from Shapco Printing, Photography from the Wedge Collection, produced by international contemporary in Toronto for providing travel funds to Inc. for his financial support and expertise a new exhibition curated by Kenneth artists: Mohamed Bourouissa, Mohamed Paris-based artists. Thank you to the in the printing of this catalogue. Most Montague. Featuring an impressive Camara, Calvin Dondo, Samuel Fosso, programming committee at Gallery 44, importantly, thank you to Kenneth selection of contemporary photographic Hassan Hajjaj, Bouchra Khalili, Antony and a special thank you to Sally Frater Montague and all the artists featured artists, the exhibition reveals a collection Kimani, Lebohang Mashiloane, Aïda for bringing this important exhibition for in Always Moving Forward: Contemporary of empowering and timely stories of Africa Muluneh, Dawit L. Petros, Zwelethu consideration. We also wish to thank our African Photography from the Wedge and African identity. In the words of the Mthethwa, Guy Tillim, Andrew Tshabangu, supporters, members, and volunteers in Collection for bringing this fresh perspective exhibition’s curator Kenneth Montague, and Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko. It is a helping us to participate in the dialogue on on African photography to Canada. “our aim is not to define an ‘African’ pleasure for us to co-present this exhibition, contemporary art. commonality, but rather to suggest that opening in 2010 at the CONTACT Festival of On behalf of the organizing galleries, Lise Beaudry, Gallery 44 there exists a wealth of diversity and a Photography, and touring to Winnipeg in we would like to thank Pamela Edmonds for J.J. Kegan McFadden, PLATFORM strong desire to express individuality.” 2011, and Peterborough in 2012. her insightful essay about the works of the Celeste Scopelites, Art Gallery of Peterborough Always Moving Forward Contemporary African Photography from the Wedge Collection Time would pass, old empires would fall and by Pamela Edmonds new ones take their place. The relations of classes had to change before I discovered that it’s not the quality of goods and utility that matter, but movement, not where you are or what you have, but where you come from, where you are going and the rate at which you are getting there. — C.L.R. James In Chaos and Metamorphosis, the 9 opening catalogue essay for Africa Remix, Africa is a continent in constant mutation. the largest survey exhibition of contemporary A mountain in the making. African art to date, curator Simon Njami — Simon Njami articulates the incessant struggle to define and represent African life. “It is impossible to fully comprehend what Africa is. Like placing a bet that cannot be won.”1 With an estimated population of one billion people, Africa is made up of over fifty nations with an estimated one thousand different languages spoken and as many distinct ethnic groups. It is perhaps the most Mohamed Bourouissa, ‘Le Téléphone,’ from the series linguistically and ethnically diverse of the Périphéries,109 x 95.5 cm entire world’s continents. digital print, 2006. Revealing the complexity and diversity remarkably cohesive private collection, an African Photography, the Bamako Encounters whom were born during or after the years of African heritage through the photographic impressive range of photographic portraits (held in Mali since 1994), have brought of independence in the 1960s. This group image has been one of the goals of Wedge by both historic and contemporary artists worldwide attention to a rising number of emerging and established artists has Curatorial Projects and its founding director taken in varied contexts and styles from of artists who have turned to lens-based gained visibility in Africa and throughout Dr. Kenneth Montague, whose projects archival, documentary and studio portraits, practices to open up a critical ‘third space’ the international art world with work have been asserting or ‘wedge-ing’ a to street photography and conceptually that counters the history of Western media that reflects the current shift away from space for African diasporic creativity in the staged tableaux. The works range from as a purveyor of ‘Afro-pessimism’. the commercial studio portraiture that contemporary Canadian arts landscape for vintage Harlem Renaissance images, to These critically praised exhibitions and predominated in Africa in previous decades, over a decade. Based in Toronto, Wedge documentary photographs of Africans in representations are part of a larger shift to reveal an increasing emphasis on exhibitions have been acclaimed features in Latin America; from pictures taken in black away from western ideals and biases, toward conceptual art, documentary, and fashion the city’s annual international photography British neighborhoods in the 1970s, to shots an African identity defined by Africans and photography. They also emphasize a modern festival, CONTACT, premiering the work of urban street life in New York’s burgeoning the diaspora. The significance of this shift and urban Africa, a place that’s responding of some the world’s most acclaimed 1980s hip-hop scene. These works are linked cannot be underestimated: for Africa to to the myriad challenges of globalization. photographers including Jürgen Schadeberg, by the impetus to represent the complex, move beyond the ever-present image in the The artists in Always Moving Forward are: Dennis Morris, Malick Sidibé, Seydou Keïta, changing nature of identity within modernity, media of “the wretched of the earth” (Frantz Mohamed Bourouissa, Mohamed Camara, 11 Rotimi Fani-Kayode, and J.D. Okhai Ojeikere. particularly as it relates to the global Fanon), we must turn toward those who Calvin Dondo, Samuel Fosso, Hassan Hajjaj, Beginning as a private gallery in diasporic experience of ‘blackness’. know it, and Africans must tell their own Bouchra Khalili, Antony Kimani, Lebohang Montague’s home, a loft designed by Del In the last decade, photography, video stories. Against this backdrop, photography, Mashiloane, Aïda Muluneh, Dawit L. Petros, Terrelonge (who also designed an extensive and installation have gained popularity one of the most democratic of mediums, has Zwelethu Mthethwa, Guy Tillim, Andrew ten year Wedge retrospective publication as prime mediums of expression for an emerged significantly within post-colonial, Tshabangu and Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko. FLAVA in 2007), Wedge has grown to emerging generation of global artists post-apartheid and increasingly globalized Living and working across Africa, North include a range of innovative programming, exploring different dimensions of the locations as a strategic device to challenge America and Europe they are a generation including group exhibitions and focused African imaginary and African spaces. Major the Western conceptions of Africa allowing of savvy cultural observers, uniquely solo projects, partnered presentations