Through his photographs of abandoned architectures and forgotten spaces in Abidjan, François-Xavier Gbré is confronted with change, economic growth, major urbanization works and the traces of a Ivory Coast. of the in-between.
Visible until February 19, 2022 at the Galerie Cécile Fakhoury in Abidjan, the exhibition The Elephant Swimming brings together a collection of works produced over the past two years by François-Xavier Gbré. The photographer continues his exploration of the territories of the Ivory Coast and thus questions the evolution of the country.
“In tune with time and geography, his work summons the language of architecture as a witness to memory and social changes. From colonial vestiges to landscapes redefined by current events, he explores territories and revisits History (… ) In the large body of unpublished photographs that the artist unveils in the exhibition The Swimming of the Elephant, the city of Abidjan still holds a symbolic place, as it is the showcase of the power in place “, says the gallery.