From 31 January to 12 February 2011, the Génération Elili collective from Brazzaville and the Afrique In Visu platform ran an intercultural Research and Photography workshop on how to structure a photography network in Central Africa. The workshop took place in Brazzaville, in the Republic of the Congo. The questions raised by the workshop therefore revolved around how to build a network of photographers across Central Africa but also how to bring research and photography together – both issues that reflected the “sustainable world” theme of the 2011 Encounters of Bamako. This was clearly visible in the various series presented by artists at the workshop. Five photographers from around the region were involved: Alain Wandimoyi, from the Republic of the Congo, worked on the series Menace sur le poumon vert de l’Afrique centrale. The Chadian photographer, Abdoulaye Barry, produced Décharge publique: le ballet. Central African Mesmin Ignabode created a work on fishermen on the River Congo.
Rodrigue Mbock, from the Cameroon, paid tribute to the push tugs of Bacongo and Gabonese photographer Joel Bouopda looked at the market farmers of Brazzaville. There were also six photographers from the Republic of the Congo, five of whom belong to the Génération Elili collective. Euloge Samba worked on aluminium recycling, Khelly Manou on the struggle against erosion and Richard Goma on issues of water. Arnaud Makalou focused on what it means to be a worker in Brazzaville, and Valloni Sita reflected on the theme “Living and Leaving”. Francis Kodia, finally, produced the series Etatolo, cimetière des épaves, presented in the Pan-African exhibition at the 2011 Encounters of Bamako.
Four coordinators and researchers organised the workshop: Jeanne Mercier and Baptiste de Ville-d’Avray of the Afrique In Visu platform, Patrick Mudekereza and Baudouin Mouanda from the Génération Elili collective. The workshop provided a chance for participants of each country to present the different loci, groups, associations and collectives working with photography in their respective countries in order to draw up a broader inventory of photographic production in the region.
To build a network of photographers across Central Africa
Workshop organised by the Génération Elili collective and Afrique InVisu
Participants: Abdoulaye Barry, Joel BouopdaTatou, Richard Goma, Mesmin Ignabode Kossi, Arnaud Makalou, Khelly Manou de Mahoungou, Rodrigue Mbock, Euloge Samba, Serge Sita aliasValloni and AlainWandimoyi
