Lagos Photo na quinta edição

Imagem: Jide Odukoya

O Lagos Photo, que começa amanhã, vai na sua quinta edição, este ano dedicado ao tema"Staging Reality, Documenting Fiction". O festival internacional de fotografia nigeriano acontece entre 25 de Outubro e 26 de Novembro e reúne trabalhos de fotógrafos africanos e não africanos que têm trabalho em África, problematizando a representação do continente. Numa entrevista ao site Africaisacountry, Azu Nwagbogu, o director, fala do percurso do festival e de fotografia.

I think photography in Nigeria has become so powerful and important to many more people. Access to it has been made easier with smart phones and more affordable cameras too. The cultural landscape of Nigeria is so vast now. We’ve got music, literature, film, performance, photography and the plastic arts in general booming. And there isn’t a creative expression or medium or genre that photography does not do justice to, grant depth to, explore; that it does not illuminate, does not inform.

Photographers are now playing a more active role in the creative industry, in the creative space, and saying “I’ve got the idea to make your work important or to give it deeper penetration,” and this has improved since LagosPhoto. The role of photography in contemporary culture was somehow relegated. I think that photography is embracing contemporary culture; contemporary culture is embracing photography. And this is empowering and providing opportunities for local photographers. Do not get me wrong: all of this existed before LagosPhoto, but I believe the festival has been a catalyst.

A entrevista completa, aqui