Askari Soldiers by Amado Alfadni (2021) 3 Oct –
11 Oct 2024
Afrovibes Festival: Askari Soldiers by Amado Alfadni
Visit the exhibition Askari Soldiers by visual artist Amado Alfadni from Thursday 3 to Friday 11 October 2024 at Framer Framed. As part of the Afrovibes Festival and in a collaboration between the Thami Mnyele Foundation and Afrovibes Foundation, the exhibition includes a series of digital photographs and a collection of fabrics exploring the history of the Askari.
Amado Alfadni is an Egyptian-born Sudanese visual artist. His work initiates a dialogue on identity and politics. He questions the power dynamics between the individual and authorities on a social and political level by examining forgotten historical events. Alfadni identifies as half-Sudanese and half-Egyptian, but he did not see these two parts of his identity reflected equally in his environment. Monuments of Egypt’s Arab history are clearly evident in the mosques and citadels, while his African Sudanese history is more difficult to trace. Alfadni uses images from colonial archives to make his Sudanese heritage visible, exploring the hidden history that comprises a large part of African history and depicting it in several works.
Askari Soldiers is one of Alfadni’s socio-political art projects on the history of the Askari (Arabic and Swahili for a military soldier). The Askari refers to the enslaved Sudanese soldier who served in the European colonial armies in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. During both world wars, Askaris also served outside the original colonies in Africa, the Middle East and Asia under European leadership. With Askari Soldiers, Alfadni denounces the idea of the enslaved Sudanese soldier and condemns the persistence of negative stereotypes of black Africans. Askari Soldiers consists of a series of digital photographs and a collection of fabrics that portray soldiers as unknown martyrs. For this, he uses an iconography associated with the colonial Anglo-Egyptian period.
Askari Soldiers by Amado Alfadni
Amado Alfadni has been selected to receive the Thami Mnyele Foundation Award. During Afrovibes Festival, he is participating in a residency at the Thami Mnyele Foundation, exhibiting a selection of his work at Framer Framed. The exhibition is open from 3 to 11 October.
About
Afrovibes Foundation organises cultural exchange between the Netherlands, countries in the African continent and the African diaspora in Europe, through an artist-in-residence programme and the annual Afrovibes Festival. Taking place from 2 to 13 October 2024 in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam, this year’s edition is built around the theme Belonging. Makers and artists from North Africa explore their connection to the African continent and an African identity or, conversely, an Arab identity through their work.
This exhibition is free of charge. Donations are welcome.
This event may be photographed and filmed. Please let us know in advance if you prefer not to have your picture taken.
This exhibition is made possible by Afrovibes Foundation, the Thami Mnyele Foundation and Framer Framed.
Framer Framed is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; Municipality of Amsterdam; and VriendenLoterij Fonds.
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