“Artists are the witnesses and keepers of our history; they also use creativity to show another side of our realities.” Aïda Muluneh’s (b. 1974) is adamant that art can be a tool to spark change. The photographer is renowned for her distinctive visual language that speaks out against pressing issues and advocates for a better Africa. Her work often shows surreal scenes where primary colours, postures and props are charged with symbolic potential. In this way, she confronts abuses of power, discrimination against women and unequal access to necessities. Seven of her photography series are now on display as part of Aïda Muluneh: On the Edge of Past Future at Fotografie Forum Frankfurt. The exhibition highlights her extraordinary oeuvre over the past decade in what is the artist’s most comprehensive solo show in Europe to date.
Based in Côte d’Ivoire, Muluneh’s contributions to the art world extend beyond her own practice. In 2019, she became the first Black woman to co-curate the Nobel Peace Prize exhibition, Crossroads Ethiopia . The following year, she was their commissioned artist and produced a series about food, war and the World Food Programme, titled Road to Glory . She founded the first international photography festival in East Africa, Addis Foto Fest, and is now a jury member for the World Photography Awards. She is celebrated for her work behind the camera, which strives to change perceptions of Africa. In addition, her success across numerous other projects has added to her renown as one of today’s leading lens-based artists.
She draws inspiration from a variety of sources. For instance, Memories In Development (2017) is a seven-part photography series inspired by the Cuban film Memories in Underdevelopment (1968) by Tomas Guiterrez. Based on the novel by Edmundo Desnoes, the experimental film is a character study that follows a wealthy aspiring writer who stays in Cuba after the rest of his family flees following the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. Muluneh watched it as part of her Film major at Howard University and it “stayed with her for a long time.” Years later, she decided to “build a collection based on the relationship between political structures and the developing societies in Africa, where poor leadership has played a major role in our self-determination for a better life.” One standout piece shows the subject in the centre of the composition, surrounded by countless eyes drawn in black marker on the bright yellow walls. The sitter holds her hands at either side of her face to block them from view and stares straight into the lens.
There are many symbols that resurface across the exhibition. Her models tend to wear clothing from across Africa, but also appear in garments from further afield. Enchanting figures might appear in business suits or traditional costumery, conveying how people have multiple identities and cultural origins. Protagonists are often dotted with or entirely painted in vibrant hues. Muluneh talks about this in relation to her series The World is 9 (2016): “I have chosen to continue working on body painting, which is inspired by traditional body art from across Africa.” Hands are also emblematic; they reappear across her projects as limbs that protect or incite. Red wings are linked to womanhood. For example, they sprout from the back of women in the series Water Life (2018) and appear again in The Road of Glory (2020). Her work calls us to pay attention to both overarching, cinematic narratives alongside smaller details that are filled with deeper meaning.
On the Edge of Past Future brings together work where every element has been carefully considered, offering endless topics for the viewer to reflect upon. Advocacy is at the heart of whatever Muluneh sets her mind to, from her own creativity to curation. She states: “I make my work as witness of these times and as someone who believes that, if we are to make change happen, we must find ways to be part of that shift.”
Forografie Forum Frankfurt: Aïda Muluneh: On the Edge of Past Future | Until 14 April
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Strength in Honor, 2016 From the series The World is 9 © Aïda Muluneh, 2024.
- Star Shine, Moon Glow, 2018 From the series Water Life Commissioned by WaterAid and supported by the H&M Foundation © Aïda Muluneh, 2024.
- Sai Mado/ The Distant Gaze, 2016 From the series The World is 9 © Aïda Muluneh, 2024.
- The Shackles of Limitations, 2018 From the series Water Life Commissioned by WaterAid and supported by the H&M Foundation © Aïda Muluneh, 2024.
