Exploitation

  • Dates
    2019 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Location Berlin, Germany

The abstract of this ongoing project, deals with the historic exploitation of Africa, starting with colonialism, slavery, exploitation of natural resources and the result and effect of this on the African heritage. It deals with the present and future of the African nations as well and the refugee problem which is related to economic reasons and civil wars, a result of a long history of abuse towards Africa from the colonizers. The project is an ongoing project.

Even though officially colonialism has ended in Africa since decades many of the former colonized countries are still being controlled by the colonizer or paying colonial taxes in the case of France which is cumbersome for many African countries to go forward and have a fair chance. most of the images having a lowkey lightning style with a resemblance to the classic dutch paintings, the golden age of the colonizing dutch empire.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

I used the cotton here referring to slavery in the cotton fields in the Americas under severe conditions. Which enabled western countries to offer cotton products at competitive prices. The wig form of Cotton is a metaphor referring to the judicial system that played an instrumental role in giving slavery extralegal face with several laws like The fugitive slave laws were laws passed by the United States Congress in 1793 and 1850 or laws allowing masters to discipline their slaves.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

I used the cotton here referring to slavery in the cotton fields in the Americas under severe conditions. Which enabled western countries to offer cotton products at competitive prices. The wig form of Cotton is a metaphor referring to the judicial system that played an instrumental role in giving slavery extralegal face with several laws like The fugitive slave laws were laws passed by the United States Congress in 1793 and 1850 or laws allowing masters to discipline their slaves.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

African woman looking away and crying golden tears. I used the woman as a narrative to the misery and suffering of Africa, the gold is a metaphor for the richness of the African continent, and refers to the misery of one that results in the wealth of the other nations.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

A portrait of young African women closing her eyes and looks like she is greefing with a diamond looks like a wound bleeding refering to the bloody history of diamonds in Africa and the famous blood diamonds related to South Africa in specific.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

A portrait of young African women closing her eyes and looks like she is greefing with a diamond looks like a wound bleeding refering to the bloody history of diamonds in Africa and the famous blood diamonds related to South Africa in specific.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

An image deals with the painful present situation of boat refugees from Africa that die trying to cross the Mediterranean or reach Europe to face a disappointment waiting for them. The model looks in emptiness, thinking about his past and his future and waiting for the unknown.

© A. Tamboly - Image from the Exploitation photography project
i

I used this setup to tell a story of an image that I have seen from slaves being photographed with their backs completely wounded with the wiping signs on it very harsh. I used the golden color here as a metaphor for the wealth these slaves brought through their forced hard labor.

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