The Rastafari Movement
Noël Quidu
The Rastafari movement, founded by descendents of black slaves fighting for emancipation, challenged the established religious and political order introduced by white colonial powers. The young religion reinterpreted the bible and offered perspectives of freedom to people traumatized by four centuries of slavery. It is a messianic movement and clearly one of the grand freedom fighting movements in the history of mankind, but the media, fascinated by the iconic Bob Marley, have often considered Rastafarians to be little more than marijuana and dreadlocks. For nearly a century now, the spiritual children of Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, have taken their beliefs across the world. Noël Quidu followed them to Jamaica, Ethiopia, the United States and Europe, and presents an honest view of the brotherhood as they turn their backs on pagan “Babylon” to reach the promised land of Zion.
Commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication – Centre national des arts plastiques.
Noël Quidu
In 1975 when Noël Quidu was 19, feeling cramped in his native Paris region, he decided to leave “to see the world.” Hitchhiking with his his only companion—his camera—he left for Africa. Back in Paris, he joined the Interpress agency, where he mostly covered the world of cinema and television. It’s the story of humanity in motion that first drew his attention, in particular conflicts showing not only injustice and violence, but also dignity and hope. In 1988, Quidu’s dreams came true when he was invited to join the Gamma agency. A international photojournalist, he used the full force of his talent to cast a sharp eye on the world’s conflicts. His reports on war appeared in magazines across the world: in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Albania, Israel, Palestine, Rwanda, Congo, Chad, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Liberia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Nepal, Ukraine, Pakistan, Somalia and elsewhere.
His years of award-winning work have been the subject of several exhibitions.
The Rastafari Movement – Noël Quidu
From september 1st to september 21st
Couvent des Minimes
Rue François Rabelais
66000 Perpignan – France
