Congo in Conversation in New York
Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York
September 18, 2021 - December 1, 2021
After Paris, Antwerp and Brussels, "Congo in Conversation" has set up in New York. In partnership with the Photoville festival which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, a free open-air exhibition at the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park shows a series of photographs from Finbarr O'Reilly's collaborative project.
This selection of 20 photographs from the collaborative report Congo in Conversation puts together the work of 6 photographers : Arlette Bashizi, Dieudonne Dirole, Guerchom Ndebo, Finbarr O’Reilly, Raissa Karama Rwizibuka and Moses Sawasawa.
Together, the journalists reveal communal ideas about African women, beauty and fashion, leading to a deeper exploration of self-esteem and self-confidence in a post-colonial context. They brave the front lines of conflict and examine the challenges of living through a pandemic while subsisting in an informal economy where access to water and electricity is severely limited. Eventually, they report on the volcano eruption in Goma, gold mines and charcoal production, reflecting themes central to their own lives.