Throughout his life, the Mali photographer Malick Sidibé (1935–2016) immortalized the smiles of his country. The Fondation Cartier in Paris pays homage to the master with a vast retrospective that features over 250 photographs.
Some photographs capture pain and turn it into striking tableaus that magnify human suffering in a facial expression or a bodily posture. Malick Sidibé, on the contrary, captures the zest of life and celebrates it. His photographs beam with ear-to-ear smiles that are reinvigorating and make you wish you were there.
A testimony to that joie de vivre can be seen first and foremost in his photographs of dance nights in Bamako in the 1960s–70s. Sidibé captured young people dressed up for the occasion twisting and kicking in the heat of the dance. His images manage to convey the rhythm and vibrate with the inner beat of the dancers who burn the dance floor in bodily transport. In his day, Malick Sidibé was the photographer whose presence would make the party. As he recalled: “In the street, my kids’ friends would call out to me. … I attended their parties like you go to the cinema or to see a show. I moved around to find the best place, I was always on the lookout for opportunities, a whimsical moment, an original attitude, or a really funny guy.” He would be invited by the organizers of one party, then the following day he would paste the wall of his studio with the previous night’s shots that he would offer for sale.
These photos included some black-and-white masterpieces, like the portrait of a young woman dancing with her brother, their heads brushing as they did the twist; the photograph, entitled Nuit de Noël, was selected as one of the “100 most influential images of all time” by Time Magazine.
Happy world
Like Nuit de Noël, countless other photographs show entrancing dance moves that seem to carry us along, sweep us in their momentum, and transmit the desire to make our own moves on the dance floor.
“He was someone who was very kind, very friendly,” recalls Brigitte Ollier, co-curator of the exhibition and journalist specializing in photography, who met Malick Sidibé on several occasions. “He was brimming with a love of life similar to the love of life visible in his photos.”
Malick Sidibé chased happiness in the world and avoided sad topics. As he said himself in a film screened at the end of the exhibition, he photographed youth, children’s play, and jokesters who believed they were eternal. He would show up at their parties and grant them their eternity in an accumulation of joy. When they went to the beach, the photographer would follow them and immortalize these natural-born swimmers as they proudly flexed their biceps, their faces beaming with smiles and sunshine.
They felt the same pride when they posed in the photographer’s studio with their treasured trifles: a Mobylette, a favorite vinyl, sunglasses over their eyes, a dress with fancy patterns. This is another domain at which Malick Sidibé excelled: portraiture. At the Fondation Cartier, visitors are captivated by a gallery of faces and their picturesque beauty that the artist has elevated into art.
“He knew how to make people smile”
This son of a farmer, born in a tiny village 300 kilometers from the capital, opened his photo studio in Bamako in 1962 thanks to his uncle’s money. Soon, all of Mali paraded before his lens. The word-of-mouth and his success at parties consolidated his renown and brought to his door all sorts of astonishing, colorful characters who came alone or in groups to have their portraits taken. Malick Sidibé knew how to put them at ease. “He had his own special way,” says Brigitte Ollier, “he would put his hand on his model’s shoulder, which put them at ease. He knew how to make people smile.” This is exactly what we feel looking at his photographs., as Malick Sidibé himself admitted, he enjoyed taking photographs and knew how to transmit this enjoyment. Looking at his works, we can sense that they were bathed in a cheerful, enchanted, lively atmosphere. He was a photographer of life that unfolded in the full diversity of his country across a myriad of portraits. Sometimes Malick Sidibé would photograph like a reporter and portray an everyday character: a firefighter, a clockmaker, a boxer. Other times he playfully engaged with people to produce photographs resonating with sincere laughter; he did photo sessions where everybody had fun, like this hippy in bell-bottomed trousers who mimics dance steps in the photographer’s studio or that group of young rebels, each sporting a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, a photo that Malick Sidibé called ironically, “La cigarette à l’honneur.”
Golden lion
“He wanted to embellish his model,” asserts Brigitte Ollier, “and he managed to make people thoughtful.” This is evident in the new, posthumous prints presented for the first in the exhibition. They show models deep in thoughts betrayed only by the look in their eyes. The encounter with the photographer is no longer a game, but a moment of seriousness; it is about agreeing to share with the artist something that is close to one’s heart. We are both intrigued and moved by the generosity of these models offering something they would not give to just anyone. It must be said that Malick Sidibé had become somewhat of a celebrity in his country. This country boy went on to receive a Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2007. Faced with his success, he called out laughing: “When people talk about me, they say, ‘he takes beautiful photos. He’s a sorcerer!’”
Jean-Baptiste Gauvin
Jean-Baptiste Gauvin is a journalist, writer, and stage director. He lives and works in Paris.
Malick Sidibé, Mali Twist
October 20, 2017 to February 25, 2018
Fondation Cartier
261 Boulevard Raspail
75014 Paris
France
www.fondationcartier.com
Book published by Xavier Barral
45€
