Mwangalio Tofauti

Mwangalio Tofauti* is a photographic exhibition currently running at the Nairobi Gallery next to Nyayo House. This exhibition is an installation of nine photographic perspectives from Kenya and one from South Africa (Black Diamonds).

This exhibition opened on the 10th of September 2010 which I attended and was blown away by what is being exhibited there and the DJ-set music from Just A Band. 

What I liked about this exhibition is that the photos are projected on the wall. So what you have to do is sit down and let the picture flip. 

Boniface Mwangi of the Picha Mtaani fame (a CNN Photo Journalist recipient mind you!) brings out a vivid account of what happens during the night in Nairobi through an on going Kwani? project called 24Nairobi. (Although some of his pictures could not be displayed because the head of gallery judged them to be inappropriate!). You can find some of this projects work on 24nairobi website.

Nairobi at night

Nairobi downtown

Antony Kaminju a former photoeditor with the Nation Newspapers and now a lecturer in South Africa show cases the transformation that is taking place in South Africa. This is through his installation of 'The Black Diamonds of Soweto' which show cases how South African society has changed through the pictures of patrons of Panyaza Chesa nyama ('cook the meat') in Soweto Township, south of Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Rock Soweto

''Most of the patrons are young black South Africans with a good bank balance to spend on entertainment - the marketing world calls them "black diamonds". They come here in droves every Sunday afternoon wearing the latest fashion labels and sunglasses; the girls walk about as though on a catwalk. Many of them have moved to the suburbs, but come back to the township to party. They drive here in sunroof BMWs, new Mini coopers, and top-of-the-range 4x4s. The cars are spotlessly clean and some have been fitted with 15 inch subwoofers. Hip hop music blasts from the cars; everyone dances.''-Antony Kaminju

Soweto party

Barbara Minishi experiments portraits from Cyrus Kabiru who has his own unique line of eye glasses. You can catch his line of eye wear which are being exhibited at Alliance Francaise Until 26/09/2010.

Futuristic?

Hi!

Guerrilla? 

You can catch a glimpse of this and other photo journalists such as Jakub Barua, James Muriuki, Jim Chuchu, Miriam Syowia Kyambi, Sam Hopkins, Wambui Mwangi at Nairobi Gallery until 12/12/2010.

Event poster

This exhibition brings together Kenyan photographers and artists who navigate between art and documentary photography. Among them are: Antony Kaminju, Barbara Minishi, Boniface Mwangi, Jakub Barua, James Muriuki, Jim Chuchu, Miriam Syowia Kyambi, Sam Hopkins, Wambui Mwangi.

The show is displayed in an unconventional and powerful way of photography exhibition: as projected images.

This Exhibition has been organised by Goethe Institute in cooperation with the National Museums of Kenya

* Different Perspective

NB: I hope this title has some inspiration drawn from the passage of the new constitution as we (the people) hope to see things in different perspective.