A World in Common (Paperback)

Osei Bonsu

ISBN 10: 184976851X / ISBN 13: 9781849768511

Published by Tate Publishing, London, 2023

About this Item

Paperback. Since the invention of photography in the nineteenth century, Africa has been defined largely by Western images of its cultures and traditions. From the colonial carte de visite and ethnographic archive to the rise of studio portraiture and social documents of racial surveillance, the fraught relationship between Africa and the photographic lens has become inseparable from the discourses of post-colonialism. Challenging these historical images of exoticism and otherness, this book illustrates how artists have used photography and video art to reimagine history and expand our understanding of contemporary realities. Bringing together a diverse range of artists and thinkers to present perspectives on issues such as spirituality, urbanism and climate change, this book reveals the many ways images travel across time and geography, and how artists are redefining perceptions of the world we inhabit. A celebration of the visual and cultural landscape of contemporary African photography, this stunning book offers critical insight from the perspectives of Africa's leading artists. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781849768511

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A World in Common (Paperback)
• Publisher: Tate Publishing, London
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184976851X
• ISBN 13: 9781849768511
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A World in Common is a celebration of the visual and cultural landscape of contemporary African photography. Edited by Osei Bonsu, curator of International Art at Tate Modern, this stunning exhibition book offers critical insight from the perspectives of Africa’s leading artists and thinkers.

Since the invention of photography in the 19th century, Africa has been defined largely by Western images of its cultures and traditions. From the colonial carte de visite and ethnographic archive to the rise of studio portraiture and social documents of racial surveillance, the fraught relationship between Africa and the photographic lens has become inseparable from the discourses of postcolonialism.

Challenging these dominant images of exoticism and otherness, this book illustrates how photography has allowed artists to reimagine African histories through the lens of the present, to shape our understanding of the contemporary realities we face.

Bringing together a diverse range of artists and thinkers to present varied perspectives on issues such as cultural heritage and restitution, spirituality, urbanism, and climate change, A World in Common reveals how innovative contemporary photography challenges perceptions of history, culture, and identity.

About the Author

Osei Bonsu is curator of International Art at Tate Modern, where he is responsible for organizing exhibitions, developing the museum’s collection, and broadening the representation of artists from Africa and the African diaspora. In 2020, he was named as one of Apollo magazine’s 40 under 40 leading African voices. Bonsu is author of African Art Now (2022).