Mendong is a neighbourhood in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Less than 10 years ago it was situated on the periphery of the city and constituted a zone populated by citizens who could not afford to live in housing near the centre, and by large numbers of migrants from rural areas. This neighbourhood is now the nerve centre for many key issues, particularly because of its geographical position at the main axis of the city of Douala. The inhabitants have developed the economy of their area on their own initiative, seeking out spaces capable of accommodating their businesses and activities. Several plots of land belonging to the city council have been more or less officially rented out to local people, but with no right to raise any permanent buildings. This panoramic represents a fragment of the neighbourhood, a street, where the Ancienne Pharmacie Mendong (Old Mendong Pharmacy) bus stop is located. Passers-by will cross paths with bric-a-brac vendors, carpenters, hairdressers, welders and restaurants that coexist in close proximity with the inhabitants, in contrast to the model of the new cities.
William was born in 1982 in Paris, the city where he lives and works. After carrying out scientific studies at the Higher National School of Physics and Chemistry, he entered the Louis Lumière School. His work explores the nature of the photographic medium both from the perspective of experiences that arise when taking a shot and of the sense of the image captured and the relation that is established with the audience. Many of his projects take Cameroon and its inhabitants as a visual reference.
FESTIVAL
GETXOPhoto Photography Festival
From September 3rd to October 4th, 2015
Getxo, Spain
