The Biennale, which began in Malaga, provides a forum for conversations, encounters, and possibilities for the next generation of African artists.
The first Biennale of African Photography, titled Ozangé, launches its voyage in Malaga with the goal of fostering understanding between our continents through thought and art. The biennial will serve as a forum for discussions, encounters, and possibilities for this young generation in addition to being an exhibiting venue for a variety of contemporary photographs from the continent and its diaspora, with a focus on the works of women artists.
Thirty-six artists from more than 20 countries will offer their photographic perspectives of the continent from the 3 and 4 November through to the 29th of January 2023. Three significant shows will be held in La Térmica, CC La Malagueta, and Alameda Principal as part of the biennial’s exhibition component. The University of Malaga’s Cultural Container will be the location of a meeting between the participating photographers. Ozangé will visit Madrid, the Ivory Coast, and Morocco under the direction of conceptual artist and multiracial photographer Owanto, who is of Gabonese descent.
Ozangé is designed around a number of shows and conversations with artists in order to share and reflect on photography while extending geographical boundaries. In partnership with the Ayuntamiento de Málaga, the Universidad de Málaga, the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Adama Toungara, and the LagosPhoto Festival, it is produced by La Térmica and the Centro Cultural La Malagueta of the Diputación de Málaga.
To host its exhibition programme and a schedule of discussions and events, Ozangé will be separated into different sections distributed across four locations. The exhibition portion of the biennial will be held at La Térmica, CC La Malagueta, and Alameda Principal with three significant exhibitions.
The work of 36 African and Diaspora artists from over 20 countries, including Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Angola, among others, is on display at the Centro Cultural La Malagueta. The route is divided into six sections that are inspired by light. La Térmica presents “Capturing Cultural Evolution,” a collection of the most iconic photographs shown throughout the history of LagosPhoto, a significant and innovative festival that, as of 2010, has established itself as a model for the growth of emerging talent.
Owanto, a renowned artist of Gabonese descent whose work has been displayed in Europe, Africa, and the United States, is in charge of overseeing the Biennale’s artistic direction. Using modern art as a tool for social and cultural transformation, Owanto has devoted her career to opposing female genital mutilation. In order to provide cultural activities that encourage reflection on a continental scale, the biennale will start its itinerancy after its exhibition in Malaga and travel to the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid and the Adama Toungara Museum of Contemporary Art in Abidjan from 2023 to 2024.
