Tales Of Globalisation From Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso Wed 20-02-2008

Tales Of Globalisation From Burkina Faso
By John Owoo - Koudougou, Burkina Faso

The issue of globalisation, which continues to overshadow matters relating to poverty, environment, development, immigration and integration, has also caught the attention of artists who give their share of views through their artistic creations.

Indeed, a recent exhibition of photographs shot in Nepal, India, Bosnia, Vietnam, Nigeria, Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, France, Belgium and Iceland - that commented on various issues relating to globalisation- took place in the centre of Koudougou, in Burkina Faso.

Photographs displayed at the exhibition, which took place under trees, were by various photographers who included Philip Jones Griffiths, Akinbode Akinbiyi, Tim Hetherington, Berton Von Manen, Stephan Vanfleteren, Shehzard Noorani, Thomas Kern, Andreas Seibert and Ziyo Gafic.

Titled “Tales from a Globalising World” and organised by La Cooperation Swiss in Burkina Faso to sensitize people on globalisation, photographs on display touched on war, child labour, loneliness, power, poverty and many other issues.

“Le Monde Impitoyable des Ouvriers” by Andreas Seibert depicted scenes of poverty in rural China, skyscrapers, villages and workmen while “Les Faut de la Communaute Internationale” by Ziyo Gafic showed beautiful landscapes, churches and exhumed skeletons in a morgue in Bosnia, reminding one of the recent civil war.

“Next to the Force of Power – Fear and Hunger Reigns” by Thomas Kern depict queues, people behind barbed wire fences, demonstrators, body searches, soldiers and lonely streets in the United States of America.

Black and white photos by Shehzard Noorani titled “Exploitation of Children in Nepal and India” are full of emotion. They include shots of children working in fields, sitting in groups by garbage dumps and kids wrapped in tattered cloths to keep warm.

“The Drama of Solitude” by Stephan Vangleteren reveal lonely people in France and Belgium. Images from flats and bars demonstrate the fact that alcohol and cigarettes appear to be the companion of lonely people.

Akinbode Akinbiyi’s “Destins Lies Par L’esclavage” comments on the different religions and beliefs, found in all corners of the world. It showcases in vivid images, various practices including rituals by fetish priests and devotees in shrines as well as Christians at worship.

“How to Heal the Wounds of War”, by Tim Hetherington illustrates the healing power of sports as a uniting force in the management of conflicts. It has photographs from Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone of amputees with footballers and karate experts as well as ruins of building destroyed by bombs.

Posted By: AfricanColours

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