Malick Sidibé, an established Malian photographer, documented the people of the city of Bamako as Mali made the transition from colony to independence. Sidibé photographs show vibrant youth culture at dance clubs, parties and sporting events; people enjoying their freedom and intoxicated with the new Western styles in music and fashion… “For me, photography is all about youth.” Sidibé took thousands of portraits in his studio and camera repair shop, recording individuals keen to assert their postcolonial identity and success. Included in the exhibition are four of Sidibé’s unique Chemises – small prints of his edit of photographs from events and social functions, each glued to cardboard sleeves. These chemises were then used as a reference system for people to order prints from him. Many of the original negatives for these images have not survived, and many were not printed outside of the chemises, which often leaves these artefacts as the sole record of a night in Bamako on a given date. As such, they provide unique insight into the culture and society of the time. 

Sidibé’s work has been exhibited internationally from 1990, and in 2003 he received the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. In 2007 he became the first African and the first photographer to receive the Venice Biennale art exhibition’s Golden Lion Award for lifetime achievement. Sidibé’s chemises are now held in the permanent collections of several major museums, including MoMA and Art Institute of Chicago.

''Sidibé’s photographs capture your attention, and this generated myriad other dialogues around history, race, representation, technology and beyond.’ New York Times.