BananaRepublic
Katrineholm Konsthall, Katrineholm, Sweden
September 29 – November 6, 2011 Group exhibition with Kjersti Sundland, John K. Raustein, and Fredrik Raddum
In BananaRepublic, I explore how Africa and its people have been represented over time – from 1950s figurines and so-called “Negro ladies,” to contemporary media portrayals of a continent marked by violence, corruption, and famine. Through a visual-anthropological lens, I seek to question these clichéd and reductionist depictions by juxtaposing them with personal experiences and imagery.
The project aims to challenge both my own and the audience’s assumptions, using unexpected visual connections and a critical perspective on the Western gaze. Humor plays a key role, offering a way to subvert expectations and open up space for alternative narratives.
Ved Katrineholm Konsthall presenterte jeg veggmalerier, lerretsarbeider og et egendesignet flagg. The visual material is based on my own photographs taken in The Gambia and South Africa. The motifs include portraits of proud individuals, lush landscapes, and scenarios that might appear absurd when filtered through a Western lens. By removing these images from their original context and reconfiguring them into new visual narratives, I aim to create a setting where background becomes secondary—and the act of reinterpretation takes center stage.
