This autumn, Fotografiska Shanghai unveils the first and largest exhibition of African photography in Asia. Author and curator of Into the Black Fantastic (2022)and Reframing The Black Figure (2024), Ekow Eshun (b. 1968) collaborated with co-curator Lucy MacGarry to create Marvellous Realism: A Groundbreaking Contemporary African Photography Show. The exhibition brings together a selection of contemporary greats who remain largely unknown to the Chinese public – until now. Focused primarily on sub-Saharan African countries, it takes a transnational outlook and features work from established and emerging names behind the camera. Atong Atem, David Ụzọchukwu, Hassan Hajjaj and Zanele Muholi are amongst the 16 photographers that are part of this dazzling new group showcase. Many of the creatives on display use the camera to envisage contemporary African cultural identity as a state of ongoing possibility. Myth, Memory and Movement weave together into a rich tapestry of expansively imaginative artworks.
Cameroonian historian Achille Mbembe (b. 1957) described the continent as “a body in motion born out of overlapping genealogies, at the intersections of multiple encounters with multiple elsewhere.” Image-makers as part of Marvellous Realism invoke the cosmopolitan reality of Africa, as a space connecting an enormous variety of communities. It is estimated that there are 3,000 different ethnic groups who speak over 2,100 different languages across the land mass, each with their own unique but interconnected cultures and histories. The variety of approaches on display showcase this diversity. In the second section, titled Movement, acclaimed visual activist Zanele Muholi (b. 1972) presents a series of self-portraits that speaks to the representation of African people. They reflect on the history of the camera being used a tool to present stereotypes to western viewers. Ntozakhe II, Parktown (2016) shows them with deliberately darkened skin gazing calmly beyond the frame. By presenting multiple portraits, they transcend preconceived notions and show that the possibilities of African identity are boundless.
“A show about African photography is about all of us, for all of us. It’s a show about who we are as people” reflects Eshun at the end of his virtual tour. It’s an invitation for audiences to see perspectives from Africans themselves, as they make use of various techniques and practices. Marvellous Realism is deeply rooted in knowledge of photography, its history and evolution. Split into sections labelled Myth, Movement and Memory, these practitioners present a feast for the eyes that prompts viewers to contemplate more complex issues. From the imaginative worlds pictured by David Ụzọchukwu to the vibrant portraits of Hassan Hajjaj, Marvellous Realism is a beautiful introduction to the array of African photography.
Fotografiska Shanghai, Marvellous Realism | Until 1 December
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Ntozakhe II, Parktown, 2016 ©️ Zanele Muholi
- Ubuntu, 2014 ©️ Justin Dingwall
- I Have Not, I Have, 2010 ©️ Mary Sibande
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