By Irene Gaitirira
Published September 2, 2015
An exhibition that brings together more than 500 artists in a celebration of photography as it tackles local and global issues is set for opening on October 1, 2015.
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From Hargeysa International Book Fair showing the work of young Somalis beyond the modern stereotypes of terrorism and warlords to ‘Africa’s Last Colony: Remembering 40 Years of Conflict in Western Sahara’; and from the Hazara community from Afghanistan who have settled in Quetta in Pakistan to Visualising Migration, art lovers shall be delighted during the two-month event known as Photomonth East London International Photography Festival that shall be held in Britain’s East London with a focus on migration, identity and belonging.
While Harrodsburg by Glaswegian photographer Dougie Wallace who continues to push the boundaries of the social documentary genre tells a story of glut, greed and the widening wealth gap playing out on the streets of a city that is going through unprecedented social change, Jan Klos’s Photographic Guide to the Pubs of East London documents the work of the teams determined to keep the doors of the many East End pubs that are under threat of closing open.
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That the Bengali people have lived in London for nearly 400 years is not known to many people. The Bengali East End Photowalk guided by Julie Begum will enable participants to find out more about one of the largest communities in London.
Alixandra Fazzina will give this year’s LIP Lecture, Visualising Migration. She will talk about her book A Million Shillings: Escape from Somalia and her ongoing project,ËœThe Flowers of Afghanistan, both of which cover the subject of human smuggling and trafficking.
While the Photobook Weekend is a major new event created to promote independent publishers and the art of the photobook with a book market, talks & events, professional development talks will aim to assist photographers in their careers as workshops will equip the youth and community at large with crucial life skills.
Back in Kenya’s Nairobi, a book titled A Path Not Taken, shall be launched on September 6, 2015 at Nairobi Gallery that sits at the junction of Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue. It tells the story of Joseph Murumbi, an African cultural collector who briefly served as Kenya’s Vice-President.
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On-going at the same gallery is an exhibition titled Two African Artistic Geniuses: Elkana Ongesa and Expedito Kibbula.
Sex and the City II, a provocative show by Michael Soi and Thom Ogonga running at Alliance Francaise ends on September 13, 2015.
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Describing the work on display as “provocative and scathing parody of contemporary Kenyan society”, Alliance Francaise says the artwork is “a social commentary touching on issues of everyday life which tend to get swept under the carpet. The artists hold a mirror up to their views of society and invite us to take the time to pause, reflect… and reconsider.”
