100 Years of Nairobi Studio Photography Displayed at UBC's Museum of Anthropology, Beginning Today
VANCOUVER, BC - The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC takes a profound look at Kenya's popular culture through an illuminating collection of studio photography, from the 1910s to the present day, in the North American premiere of Piga Picha!, today, November 25, 2014 through April 4, 2015. Including more than180 photographs spanning a century, this deeply moving exhibition showcases portraits that are carefully staged in the studio as well as those quickly taken on the streets of Nairobi. The exhibition documents the customs of modern Kenyan urban culture while supporting an East African history of photography.
"MOA has always served as a forum for cultivating an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of world arts and cultures traditions," explains Nuno Porto, Curatorial Liaison for Piga Picha! at MOA. "This Canadian premiere exhibition aligns with MOA's mission through a comprehensive examination of studio photography in East Africa, incorporating works from all backgrounds - as opposed to similar projects which have focused on Kenya's booming middle-class."Curator and professional photographer Katharina Greven, formerly of the Goethe-Institut in Kenya, partnered with more than 30 photography studios in Nairobi and consulted with photographers, studio operators, artists, bloggers, journalists, and cultural scientists to curate this diverse collection of portraits - a subtle balance between the fine arts and the rich, distinct flavors of East African popular culture."A highly-regarded art form in Nairobi, portrait photography is used to tell stories, share social status, and transform everyday life," says Curator Katharina Greven. "More than a direct reflection of the individual, these self portraits highlight and amplify desirable features to create an illusion of the idyllic self. In the past 15 years, studio photography has experienced an unfortunate decline in popularity - likely a direct result of cameras, now commonplace on mobile phones. For this reason, Piga Picha! serves to recognize and preserve portrait photography as a significant art form and thus connect us to the significant history of urban Kenya before it is lost."
The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is world-renowned for its collections, research, teaching, public programs, and community connections. Founded in 1949 in the basement of the Main Library at UBC, its mission is to inspire understanding of and respect for world arts and cultures. Today, Canada's largest teaching museum is located in a spectacular building overlooking mountains and sea. MOA houses more than 42,000 ethnographic objects and 535,000 archaeological objects, including many, which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. The Koerner Gallery features one of Canada's most important European ceramics collections, while MOA's recently opened Multiversity Galleries provide public access to more than 10,000 objects from around the world. The Audain Gallery and the O'Brian Gallery, MOA's temporary exhibition spaces showcase travelling exhibits as well as those developed in-house.
