Malick Sidibé, Un jeune gentleman, 1978
Where: Fondation Cartier, Paris
Pictures Allowed: Yes
Kid Friendly: Yes
Open: Tuesday 11.00 -22.00, Wednesday –Sunday 11.00 -20.00
Price: € 12/ € 8
Malian-born photographer Malick Sidibé was hailed as “the eye of Bamako” for his work in the Mali capital in the heady years after independence from France in 1960. Sidibé would often shoot in dance halls, soirées and predominately in his studio in the Bagadagjii district.
By the 1990s Sidibé’s work had gained attention outside Africa. In 1995 Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain was the first to give him a solo show outside of the continent. Almost a year after Sidibé’s death, the institution is presenting Mali Twist, the largest ever exhibition of his work.
The collection provides a thorough immersion of post-colonized Mali between the 1960s and 80s, featuring over 300 vintage photographs of timeless beauty, fashion, dance and the musical tastes of liberated Mali. Unseen studio portraits will also be included, which have been selected from thousands of negatives from Sidibé’s archives.
Alongside the exhibition will run Nomadic Nights, where Malian artists, musicians, and thinkers have been invited to stage concerts, dance nights, pop-up studios, and various talks and discussions during the opening.
Where: Somerset House, London
Pictures Allowed: Yes
Kid Friendly: Yes
Open: Wednesday -Friday 11.00 -20.00, Saturday –Tuesday 10.00 -18.00
Price: Free Admission
British-Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj, opens his first solo UK exhibition in seven years at Somerset House. Hajjaj was born in Larache and moved to the UK at the age of 12, and has since spent much of his life navigating a dual-identity, travelling between two countries and cultures. His photography is an echo of his nomadic lifestyle.
Hajjaj’s art disciplines extend to design, fashion and film, with a career spanning over three decades his artwork is celebrated as it distinctly subverts preconceived notions of the Arab world, highlighting the parallels between east and west.
La Caravane is part retrospective, part new material and spans across three rooms in the South Wing of Somerset House. It showcases an eclectic fusion of subcultures, from female bikers in hijab, belly dancing men, henna girls and street performers. The glossy aesthetic of his work is infused with a bold palette, which incorporates patterned textiles, clothes, props, and furniture that make for a playful, yet memorable sight as his works challenge perceptions of identity constructs.
Khadija, Hassan Hajjaj, 2010