"Potentiality"
Senegalese artist Alun Be aims to change people’s perceptions of Africa. "Potentiality" is taken from his 2017 Edification series, which is made up of children draped in heroic capes while wearing VR goggles. It suggests some parts of Africa could be as hi-tech as the futuristic world of Wakanda, but few have taken notice.
Born Alioune Ba in 1981 in Dakar, Senegal, Alun Be credits the development of his oeuvre largely to his French, American, and West African upbringing. Be’s parents did not believe art was a stable career, pushing him to pursue an M.A. in Architecture. After two years as an architect in Senegal, a move to Denmark sparked his love for photography. Since then, Be has exhibited at the Milan Universal Exposition (2015), the Dakar Biennale (2018), the Museum of Contemporary Photography of Chicaco (2018), and others, and spoken at TEDxNapoli and TEDxWanChai Salon. His photography series deal largely with intergenerationality, female empowerment, and technology.