#jordanseeseries

I visited in October 2015 to attend the international photography festival, Rencontres de Bamako. Although the exhibition was open until the 31st of December, 2015, I made the effort to be present for the opening week which held on the 31st of October – 4th of November, 2015 so as to have a front row, first hand experience of the main activities of the festival.

Hotel Onomo, Satellite Exhibitions, The City, Night-Life, More People, Food & More.

In the last couple of years, Mali has struggled with legislative conflicts and Islamic extremism which led a three-year sabbatical and the cancellation of the 2013 edition. However, this year’s edition provided a vision of hope to the people. How perfect the timing of this year’s festival, it’s like hope was restored. It’s just sad that three weeks after the official opening of the biennale, Islamic extremists attacked one of the opulent hotels in Bamako, where twenty people were killed in a hostage siege that lasted for more than seven hours. However, such devastation is not familiar to Mali alone as the week before that, there had been attacks in Paris, France, and then Beirut and then a week after that in the Northern part of Nigeria. These terrorism issues extend as a global crisis.

From the very beginning of my stay in the Bamako, I noticed that the security measures were intense with a thorough stop and search before entering or leaving any major building or area. I later understood the reason why all of these were of utmost importance. How sad.

All through my stay I’m Bamako, Hotel Onomo was my home away from home. Located on Quartier du Fleuve, the beautifully designed and nicely decorated accomodation was also home to other foreign visitors we did have to go through rigorous security measures every day of our stay. Very comfortable with an equally welcoming staff and a good restaurant, I’d recommend this 4 star hotel to anyone visiting Bamako. In my one week stay at this beautiful shelter, I enjoyed the overflowing pool located just right by the garden and I stopped by the gym once, just to flex some muscles and burn some calories.

  The satellite exhibitions I saw during the festival opened my eyes and my heart even more to the surprises the city offers. These exhibitions are away from the National Museum of Mali and were located in different parts of the city although all part of the biennale. The whole idea was to witness more of the city and explore it’s beauty which was even much more exciting for me.

On this particular day, I had visited the Institut Français for the POPCAP exhibition which curated by Angela Maria Nyffeler and Berlin-based media artist, Benjamin Füglister. Angela also happens to be one of the people I am glad I met. A very focused lady of unrivalled ambition, she also never failed to turn heads with the choice of her sttire. “You are so beautiful”, she had said to me on the day of the opening. Never did she know that that statement made my day.

  I also met Americans Peter Barbera and Natalie Bell. While Peter is a curator based in Philadelphia, Natalie works as a curator at the new Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. One of the trips I took with the two was the visit to Abdoulaye Kanoute’s studio. In my Kimono piece made by Nigerian designer Toochi Ugoala, most security personnel referred to me as Nigeria (Ni-dzey-ria), in that francophone accent. How my look screams Nigeria, I have no idea. Perhaps like a modern African prince, complimenting the kimono with my Timbs!

  Abdoulaye Konate’s abode looked like a palace and I remember jokingly telling Natalie how men like that perhaps are married to more than one wife hence the need to accommodate more people. Abdoulaye Konaté is the director of the Conservatoire of Arts & Media in Bamako. He and his work have received several awards, including in 2002 the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mali and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France. I had the opportunity to see some of his work as well as had the privilege to speak to him, asking as many questions as I wanted. His works are more than prodigious. I was spectacularly captivated by The World In Textile, which was being exhibited on the day of our visit. The Malian artist used raw and dyed Malian cloth to make amazing pieces of art that depicts the present day age. The sculptures Abdoulaye Kanoté makes with textures projects a deep consciousness of social as well as economic challenges, interpreting the worlds and its events.

  Likewise, there was the exhibition at the AD Gallery, and this time, it was Ethiopia in the spotlight. Called Photography In Ethiopia, the platform was created for emerging photographers in Ethiopia to showcase their works internationally in various festivals and galleries. A tool to promote the country in a balanced perspective, this exhibition features a wide range of photography such as archival, portraits, photojournalism and fine art. Curated by Aida Muluneh, the award-winning photographer is also the curator of Addis Foto Fest, an international photography festival held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, whose main objectives is to support the development, dissemination, and promotion of images from Africa through the participation of both continental and international photography community. At the exhibition, I was won over by Aron Simeneh’s collections of photographs that exposes Ethiopian patriots, the soldiers that risked their lives for the sake of their country. Did you know that Ethiopia is the only African country that has never been colonized, hence the annual celebration of Victory Day in Addis Ababa on the 5th of May? The next Addis Foto Fest will take place in December of 2016 and I would love to attend.

  I also saw the work of the late, well renowned Nigerian photographer J.D ‘Okhai Ojeikere who is popular for his work with unique hairstyles found in Nigeria. Also, his photos of Lagos, Nigeria, had me marvelling as I saw what the Nigerian state looked like, years before I was born. In addition, the Mali Focus section of the satellite exhibitions unmasked the growing generation of upcoming local photographers and I was honored to witness the innocent yet inspiring works of these local photographers, a heartening experience.

  My satellite exhibition experiences would not be complete if I don’t make mention of my visit to Malick Sidibe’s Studio (Studio Malick Sidibe). Malick Sidibe is a popular Malian photographer known for his black and white studies of popular culture across Mali in the1960s. The studio, also painted in black and white, has a large banner with an image of the photographer with his camera hanging over his head and can’t be missed in the Bagadadji area of Bamako. I love that I had the opportunity to see this historical photography studio which was opened in 1958, very popular in Bamako and Mali in general.

  On display inside this tiny studio apartment are old cameras, beautifully displayed on a shelf just to the right of your entrance. Also displayed are photographs of different people in his signature black and white style, as well as other old photography tools. It was like a walk through the past. The Malian photographer whose works sell for over $25,000 became the first African and the first photographer to be awarded the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale. I was privileged to be here at the historic space myself and it’s a must-see for anyone intending to pay Bamako a visit.

  My adventure and my experience of the Malian people would be incomplete if I didn’t tell you about my visit to the National Zoo Of Mali, the Night Life I experienced in Bamako, a couple more people, as well as the food. 

At the zoo, I met Faama, the name meaning King in the local Bambara dialect. Listening to the tour guide as he told me about this particular animal that had been rejected by it’s own pride because it came in contact with humans, I couldn’t help but be fascinated and excited that I was able to stroke the lion. How fulfilling! I almost immediately fell in love with this extremely dangerous animal that could eat me in the blink of an eye without hesitation,  never mind it being caged. Although I watched other animals with interest I’ll never forget my encounter with Faama.

The night life in Bamako was quite low key but very enjoyable. The city is known for its local delicacies, but there is also plenty of French cuisine as well as an abundance of French nationals. My first night in Bamako, I visited Le Loft restaurant, a very popular and highly rated French restaurant popular for its amazing food menu and selection of wine. I had one of the most amazing meals of my life and I made sure to clear every plate of every single bit of food.

Also, in between attending the exhibitions both at the National Museum and satellite sites, I had definitely tasted Mali. From Malian Jollof Rice, sandwich poulet avec fromage/frites, riz avec sauce piment, to okra, fish, the chicken and vegetables, quiche, pizzas, and lots more, with their ginger drink, hibiscus juice, wines and what have you. Not for a single moment did I miss home!

One night, I went to Bla Bla, a notable restaurant and bar in the neighbourhood of Commune II, Bamako, a rendezvous for all, foreigners and expatriates alike. This is where it happens, and on this particular night, every person I had met or made friends with all through my stay here was present.

Bla bla is a fun restaurant and the atmosphere commands contentment and optimism. I reveled in this optimistic atmosphere as I was welcomed by the colourful display of lights and decoration made of local material. Francois Xavier Gbre’s art was on show drawing a lot of people and as such they spent the remaining part of their evening here before everyone returned back to their hotel and lodges. You could decide to sit in the small air conditioned bar inside or on the large and very well ventilated terrace, the latter being my choice.  

My table was particularly fun because everyone here was quite familiar with each other, either because we had a final destination in common, Hotel Onomo (being our residential lodge), or that we’ve just become fond of each other in the course of the biennale, hence, there was so much to talk about, laugh about and even learn from each other and we did over bottles of Flag beer, sodas, cocktails, glasses of wine and resident delicacies and signature dishes from the in-house chef. What a memorable day and amazing nightlife experience!

  With only a few more days before I left Bamako for Lagos, I had visited Comme Chez Soi to witness Fatoumata Diabate’s inspiring works of photography, enjoying the natural feeling that enveloped the air around it; Medina Art Gallery, where I saw the car used by the first President Of Mali and attended a dinner organised by Royal Air Maroc to wrap up the opening week of the festival. The Moroccan airline Royal Air Morocco is officially the carrier of this African Biennial of Photography and for the next two editions.

After a couple more events, it was time to pack up and ready myself to leave Bamako. Enamoured I recalled the highlights of my stay and I told myself never to hesitate returning to have another riveting experience in this pleasant city.

According to Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, I am very much ready for what this new project #JordanSeeSeries has in store for me and I am equally excited and all systems go to take on any new challenge whatsoever, as “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

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