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Recently, I wrote about the inspiring photography festival GRID2010. For six weeks, numerous exhibitions took place on this accessible and experimental stage. Most of these were in Amsterdam, but there were also a few flabbergasting exhibitions in Almere, Amstelveen, Haarlem and Zaanstad. One of these was the exhibition by Cameroonian photographer Angèle Etoundi Essamba. For four weeks people in Zaanstad were exposed to the series Disclosure and Destruction, about veiled women. On November 1st, this exhibition moved to the Stoperaplein in Amsterdam.
With this exhibition, Essamba wants gives us a fresh look at veiled women. We are familiar with the veil that confines and rejects, but what fascinates Essamba is the way in which African women wear their veils: with dignity, elegance and pride. A naked body is not necessarily freer than a covered body, just as the physical veil is not necessarily a spiritual or religious thing. Essamba wants to break through some of these stereotypes about Africa.
Africa is often unilaterally in the news and seen as a continent with only hunger, war, poverty and disease to offer, or as exotic and as a continent that is reduced to its traditional values. Her work, therefore, tries to emphasizes the strength of Africa and the richness of the African cultural diversity. This exhibition is shown in the open air to make it accessible to a broad and general public and to make people aware of a contemporary world where tradition meets modernity and embraces fantasy and reality.
I sadly heard some shocking news: in the night of November 2nd (only the second night of the exhibition in Amsterdam) one piece of art was destroyed. How is it possible that there are people, living in the city with the most nationalities of the world, capable of doing such incomprehensible things? In one word unbelievable… The exhibition will continue and its message is only strengthened. If you’re interested, check it out and take a moment to think about all the silly things that happen in the world. Respect!
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