Introduction

Bamako Encounters (Rencontres de Bamako) is Africa's premier photography biennale, dedicated to showcasing and promoting photography and lens-based media from Africa and its diaspora. Established in 1994, the biennale has evolved into a vital platform for African photographers, curators, and critics, playing a crucial role in the global visibility and recognition of African photographic practices.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture of Mali in collaboration with the Institut Français, the biennale takes place across multiple venues in Bamako, Mali's capital city. Through exhibitions, workshops, portfolio reviews, and public programs, Bamako Encounters creates spaces for critical reflection, professional development, and international exchange centered on the diverse visual languages of African photography.

Narrative & Themes

Each edition of Bamako Encounters is developed around a specific thematic framework, providing a lens through which to explore pressing contemporary issues and artistic concerns. Recent editions have addressed themes such as borders and mobility, decolonization, collective imagination, environmental crisis, and the multifaceted relationship between photography and politics.

The biennale consistently emphasizes the diversity of photographic practices across the African continent, moving beyond simplified narratives or stereotypical representations. It creates space for work that challenges conventional approaches to documentary, portraiture, photojournalism, conceptual photography, and experimental image-making, highlighting the complexity and richness of African visual cultures.

Bamako Encounters has played a crucial role in fostering critical discourses around photography in Africa, supporting the development of curatorial and critical practices alongside artistic production. Through symposia, publications, and educational initiatives, the biennale helps build intellectual infrastructures for the continued growth and theorization of photography on the continent.

History & Context

Bamako Encounters was established in 1994 as a collaborative initiative between the Malian Ministry of Culture and Institut Français (then known as AFAA - Association Française d'Action Artistique). Founded by photographers Françoise Huguier and Bernard Descamps, the biennale emerged during a period of renewed interest in African photography, partly catalyzed by the rediscovery of studio photographers like Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé.

Over nearly three decades, the biennale has weathered political instability and security challenges in Mali while maintaining its position as the continent's most significant platform for photography. Since 2019, the event has been revitalized under the artistic direction of Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, who has expanded its intellectual scope and international connections.

Exhibition Venues

The National Museum of Mali serves as the primary venue for Bamako Encounters, hosting the central exhibition and official programming. This significant cultural institution, with its distinctive Sudano-Sahelian architecture, provides a fitting context for the presentation of contemporary photography within Mali's broader cultural heritage.

The biennale extends beyond the National Museum to incorporate multiple venues throughout Bamako, including the Palace of Culture Amadou Hampâté Ba, the District Museum, Galerie Medina, various cultural centers, and public spaces. This distributed exhibition model encourages visitors to explore the city while experiencing photography in diverse contexts, from formal gallery settings to more accessible public locations.