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Open Call: 14^th Bamako Encounters – African Biennial of Photography

Deadline: 31 March 2024

The 14^th Bamako Encounters – African Biennial of Photography will be held from 16 November 2024 to 15 January 2025 in Bamako, Mali.

This call is open to African and Diaspora artists, photographers, and videographers, amateurs, or professionals, individuals or collective, with no limit of age or nationality.

This 14^th edition celebrates the 30th anniversary of the biennial, giving a special echo to contemporary photographic expression. The chosen theme will focus on “KUMA”, the Speech, the Silence, and the Noise.

Photography has the power to make an image speak, to convey emotions, ideas, and messages. A picture can tell a thousand stories, through the sheer force of the moment captured, by the framing, light, or staging. Photographers have the power to “make an image speak”.

The Bamako Biennial invite artists to explore new forms, experiment with dialogues between word and image, and give visual existence to moments of speech, eloquence, anger, hope, recollection, silence, cacophony and noise.

Submissions must include:

– the completed application form

– a short biography and a detailed curriculum vitae

– a portrait of the artist and a high-resolution passport photo

– a scanned copy of the passport

– 5 high-resolution images (300 dpi for 30×50 cm) of recent works with their technical specifications

– Alternatively, a zip containing the video files (5 max.) with a maximum volume of 2 GB, in h.264 and between 30 and 50 FPS with a minimum resolution of HD (1920 x 1080) and/or web links to the online videos.

Please include a document describing installation options for online photography/video projects (including technical requirements, e.g. short-throw projector, mac mini, iPad touch, speakers, etc.).

– Artists may submit multiple series and apply in both fields (photography/video). File naming: surname_first name_title_series.

– Send your files (photos or videos) in a single zip folder. File name: surname_first name.zip. Please include a document describing installation options for online photography/video projects (including technical requirements, e.g. short-throw projector, mac mini, iPad touch, speakers, etc.).

– A note of intent presenting the series and/or video works, in French or English, in PDF format, 5 pages maximum, containing a clear and concise description of the proposal. In the case of a specific installation, please include images to allow visualizing the project.

– the applicant’s portfolio (optional)

Artists certify that the works submitted are original creations and guarantee that they do not infringe on protected works. Only submissions meeting these conditions will be considered.

SELECTION

Projects will be evaluated on the basis of their artistic quality and relevance. The final selection of artists will be communicated by email in May 2024 and announced on the Bamako Encounters’ website.

The selection committee, chaired by the artistic director, is made up of the biennial’s associate curators and artistic advisors. Their decision is final and without appeal.

COMMITMENT

Registration is free of charge. Selected artists are invited to attend the biennial’s professional days, with airfare, visa, and accommodation expenses covered.

The online application form is available at: https://forms.gle/cVYuXrZA44P3LR7m9

Submission deadline: 31 March 2024

For additional information, please contact us at: rencontresbamako14@gmail.com (no later than 5 days before the closing date of the call).

website : www.rencontres-bamako-14.org