Africa in the Photobook – Ben Krewinkel

Africa in the Photobook is a website initiated in 2015 by photographer and (photo)historian Ben Krewinkel. The website is about the changing visual representation of Africa as expressed through the medium of the photobook. By showcasing book spreads the books become partly accessible to a wider public and function as a platform for students, collectors and experts to talk about the content of the books. People can engage with each other through a Facebook page as well. Africa in the Photobook is looking for books made by African artists or books printed in African countries, but focusses on books made outside the continent by non-African photographers and writers. This is especially the case for books produced in the colonial era. By showing (those) books, the website doesn’t always suggest to agree with the content, since many books tend to be highly propagandistic and sometimes blatant paternalistic and/or even racist. In collaboration with Fourthwall Books, a South African publisher specialised in artist books, Ben Krewinkel is currently doing research and preparing a publication. He will give a talk about his project on 1 June 4pm, documenta-Halle Kassel.