Africa under the prism

With a population of nearly seventeen million, Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria, is not only the largest city in Africa but also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Full of contrasts and contradictions: the enormous increase in population leads to challenges in infrastructure and yet rapid advancements in creative industries. A silent social reawakening is emerging with photography, technology, and new media playing significant roles. The first and, to date, only international art festival of photography in Nigeria, LagosPhoto Festival was initiated in 2010 in this richly vibrant center. A platform on which the development of contemporary photography from Africa and a wider community is established and fostered. As testified to by the images, their African stories are bubbling over with vitality, a zest for life, and the dynamics that deny those proponents of Afropessimism, clearly underscoring a sense for the continent’s progress. Festival: LagosPhoto Festival, Lagos 17.10.–21.11.2015