One of the most significant artistic occasions in Africa is the photography biennale held in Bamako, Mali. At the festival, many aspiring young artists aim to begin their international careers.
Since 1994, the photography biennale has taken place in the capital of Mali under the name Rencontres de Bamako – Biennale africaine de la photographie. It is one of the oldest art biennials on the African continent with a 20-year history. It focuses on modern African photographic and video arts.
The capital city of Mali, Bamako, has a population of 2.8 million. It has a national museum, a national library, a significant music festival, and the photo biennale, co-hosted by the Institut Francais and known in English as Bamako Encounters.
The 13th Bamako Encounters, with the theme “The Persons of the Person Are Multiple in the Person: On Multiplicity, Difference, Becoming, and Heritage,” will take place this year. The focus of this event is “the spaces in between, to that which defies definition, to phases of transition, to being this and that or neither and both, to becoming, and to difference and divergence in all their shades,” according to general director Chieck Diallo, artistic director Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, and the curatorial team.
Fatoumata Diabate, a Mali photographer, divides her time between Bamako and Montpellier, France. She focuses on portraiture as well as social and cultural concerns in her work, with a special emphasis on women and young people.
The Bamako Encounters are crucial for up-and-coming musicians, she told DW. She added, “Many outstanding artists have been discovered here since 1994, from Malick Sidibe to Seydou Keita and many others, including myself. The biennale has also helped to inspire the development of new arts festivals on the African continent.
The Bamako Encounters organizers are committed to the photography show that is taking place in Bamako’s national museum, railway station, and other public locations despite the difficulties. Additionally, they are continuing their crucial collaboration with the Institut Francais, a center for French culture.
Diallo declared, “We maintain our ties with France.” “We get help, and we appreciate the committed cooperation. The greatest course of action, in my opinion, is to fight for culture.
A total of 75 African and African diaspora artists have been invited to Bamako. The planners wanted to welcome at least 60 of them despite the tough political climate. 49 artists have already traveled to the capital city of Mali.
