Fitchburg Art Museum hosts ‘African Vision: Contemporary Photography from Africa’
By Cheyanne Rizzitano
The Fitchburg Art Museum is hosting ‘African Vision: Contemporary Photography from Africa,’ a new exhibition showcasing fifty different photographs all taken by thirty-five different artists who live in 7 different parts of Africa, allowing a showcasing of a wide range of styles and perspectives. Three artists in this exhibition are internationally known; Zanele Muholi (South Africa), Lalla Essaydi (Morocco), and Aida Muluneh (Ethiopia).
Zanele Muholi was born in 1972 in Umlazi, South Africa. Zanele Muholi (South Africa) is a visual activist and photographer known for documenting the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in South Africa. Muholi’s work includes photography and film and explores themes of race, gender, and sexuality.
Lalla A. Essaydi was born and grew up in Morocco in 1956 and now lives in the USA where she received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/TUFTS University in May 2003. Essaydi’s work often focuses on Arab female identity in a 19th-century Orientalist style. She is well-known for hand-drawn Arabic calligraphy paintings done with henna on different types of surfaces, such as fabric, bodies, and even walls.
Aida Muluneh was born on May 5, 1974, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Muluneh is an Ethiopian artist, photographer, and cultural entrepreneur whose work explores identity, gender, and colonial experience. Her work is known for its Afrofuturist style, which uses vibrant colors and body painting to create surreal scenes.
The exhibition of photographs explores the aftermath of colonialism, environmental exploitation and decay, female empowerment, and Afrofuturism. The photographs taken in the 21st century offer a window into the diverse experiences and perspectives of contemporary African artists.
The exhibition was curated by FAM’s Consulting Curator for African, Oceanic, and Native American Arts, Jean Borgatti. Through Jean Borgatti, the exhibition aims to challenge preconceived notions about Africa and highlight the continent’s vibrant and evolving artistic landscape. As well as further develop both FAM’s African art and photography collections.
As many come in and out of the FAM doors, there are mixed emotions about the pieces. The most common emotion toward the pieces was the photos were found to be moving, emotionally. The photographs showed commitment to changing what common knowledge people had about Africa. All fifty photographers were taken by born and raised African artists. Each photograph displayed the artist’s compassion, social concern, and humor.
This showcase is a testament to the power of individual images. From color to black and white, emotions filled the borders of the photographs. The moving pieces shed light on what Africa is today, and how it is constantly evolving. The exhibit has been active since February 24, 2024, and will be available until February 23, 2025.
