BLOOMINGTON, IN.- The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University is presenting the exhibition, Portraiture and Archives in African Photography, on view February 22–August 31, 2025, in the Rhonda and Anthony Moravec Gallery.

Portraiture and Archives in African Photography explores how five artists of African descent have innovated approaches for using archives as tools to activate their art through personal and community connections. The exhibition is co-curated by contemporary artist Ibrahima Thiam, who was in residence at the museum during the summer of 2024; Laura and Raymond Wielgus Curator of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and Indigenous Art of the Americas Dr. Allison Martino; and IU Professor of Anthropology Dr. Beth Buggenhagen. This approach to curating an exhibition with a contemporary artist, art historian, and anthropologist brings together different perspectives on photography and aims to show the importance of collaboration in curatorial work.

“The Eskenazi Museum of Art is thrilled to present this exciting exhibition, which illustrates our commitment to enriching the art-historical narrative through the lens of diverse perspectives. I am grateful to Beth Buggenhagen and Ibrahima Thiam for their partnership with Allison Martino on a project that will benefit students in various disciplines across campus and offer our community a unique opportunity to see works from the collection in conversation those of a contemporary artist,” commented Mariah R. Keller, Interim Director of the Eskenazi Museum of Art.

Drawn from the permanent collection of the Eskenazi Museum of Art, Malick Sidibé’s and Tijani Sitou’s portrait photography during the mid- to late twentieth century served as a springboard for this project and offer foundational history in this exhibition. Sidibé and Sitou, who both practiced photography in Mali, became well-known within their respective communities in Bamako and Mopti. Sidibé also garnered global recognition for his portraits of Malians following the country’s political independence from France in 1960. His depictions of life from the perspective of a Malian shared an intimate look at culture, leisure, and identity that had not been widely circulated outside of the country.

Sidibé’s and Sitou’s works are paired with three contemporary artists working today in West Africa and the diaspora—Zohra Opoku, Ibrahima Thiam, and Lina Iris Viktor—who are pursuing new directions in portraiture. The exhibition will display new acquisitions of Thiam’s and Opoku’s work, in addition to a newly commissioned artwork by Thiam, inspired by his summer residency at the museum and made specifically for the exhibition.

“I am excited for visitors to see this new exhibition featuring five modern and contemporary artists who engage with photographic archives. I also extend my sincerest gratitude to my co-curators Ibrahima Thiam and Beth Buggenhagen for contributing their expertise to this project. This collaborative curatorial effort is especially important to show Ibrahima Thiam’s perspective on the Eskenazi Museum’s collection as a practicing artist and photographer working in Senegal,” shared Allison Martino.

Drs. Martino and Buggenhagen are co-organizing a two-day international symposium in connection with the exhibition that will be held March 28–29, 2025. The symposium will feature presentations by artists, scholars, and curators, in addition to gallery tours and behind-the-scenes viewings. Confirmed guest speakers include artists Ibrahima Thiam and Zohra Opoku, with additional speakers to be announced. The symposium will be held at the Eskenazi Museum of Art, with the option of attending virtually. It is funded by Indiana University’s College Arts and Humanities Institute, Office of the Vice President for International Affairs, and the Walter Center for Career Achievement.