Alternate Contact: Joan K. Harris
Jkh4@nyu.edu
212.998.2981
On Friday, January 19th at 6 p.m., New York University’s Institute of African American Affairs will present a panel discussion on African photography in conjunction with its current exhibition, Bamako:Breathless. The exhibition, subtitled, “Photo Album by Mamadou M’Baye,” closes on January 23rd. It consists of 67 album sheets of snap shot-sized photographs, 14 large and four vintage photographs. All are black and white prints.
Mamadou M’Baye is one of the leading photographers of Bamako, Mali who took pictures during the 1960s and 1970s. His studio was called “Studio Liberte” and was located in Medina-Coura, one of the most popular neighborhoods of Bamako. He took numerous photos during dance parties, marriage ceremonies, and other celebrations and was the official photographer of the “Stade Malien,” a soccer club that won several trophies in the 1960s and 1970s. M’Baye was the favorite photographer for such famous local clubs as “The Beatles of Bamako,” “The Rockers of Bamako,” and the “Irresistibles of Bamako.” Finally, when the youth of Bamako organized “Woodstock in Bamako” in 1971, M’Baye served as the official photographer. Today, Mamadou M’Baye is retired and resides in Bamako. His collection of photographs and 30,000 negatives chronicles the history, style, and aspirations of Bamako’s youth throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Using Mamadou M’Baye’s work as a focal point, Marc Latamie, the curator of Bamako:Breathless, will moderate a discussion of African photography today. The panelists include Deborah Willis, artist, photographer and New York University professor; Salah Hassan, professor of art history at Cornell University and editor of NKA, a premiere African arts magazine; and Simon Njami, an independent curator.
Location: Institute of African American Affairs
41-51 East 11th Street, 7th Floor
New York, New York 10003
Between Broadway and University Place