Donso. The Hunters of the Invisible.
Trans Photography Press| N° d'inventaire | 31410 |
| Format | 20 x 30 |
| Détails | 180 p., 120 photographs, bound |
| Publication | Pomponne, 2024 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9791090371705 |
Since 2006, Dany Leriche and Jean Michel Fickinger have been making numerous trips to Mali to meet the leaders of the various hunter-donso brotherhoods. Guardians of so-called "animist" thought and rites, a representation of the original world that the wear and tear of time has spared, these "hunters of the invisible" hold magic, perpetuating the past and knowledge. They are both healers and soothsayers. Long protected from outside view, they agreed to pose in soothsayer attire in front of Jean-Michel Fickinger's lens. The sober staging, the figures standing out against a white background, the elegance of the postures, the faces with expressive gazes, all contribute to capturing the soul of these initiates while avoiding the pitfalls of the picturesque and the exotic.
A "sharing relationship" is established between the photographer and his model, allowing the transcription of "these faces overflowing with gravity and dignity" to go well beyond a simple ethnographic inventory.
Over time, links were forged, this relationship of trust allowed them to meet all the chefs and their musicians including Yoro Sidibé, Sibiri Samaké and the very famous Balla Guimba.
These previously unpublished portraits of Donso initiates, powerful figures "who walk in time," bear witness to an ancient cultural memory, which is today weakened by a reflexive reference to the Western "model," but also surrounded by a renewed interest, particularly among young people. This book hopes to contribute to this.
Since 2006, Dany Leriche and Jean Michel Fickinger have been making numerous trips to Mali to meet the leaders of the various hunter-donso brotherhoods. Guardians of so-called "animist" thought and rites, a representation of the original world that the wear and tear of time has spared, these "hunters of the invisible" hold magic, perpetuating the past and knowledge. They are both healers and soothsayers. Long protected from outside view, they agreed to pose in soothsayer attire in front of Jean-Michel Fickinger's lens. The sober staging, the figures standing out against a white background, the elegance of the postures, the faces with expressive gazes, all contribute to capturing the soul of these initiates while avoiding the pitfalls of the picturesque and the exotic.
A "sharing relationship" is established between the photographer and his model, allowing the transcription of "these faces overflowing with gravity and dignity" to go well beyond a simple ethnographic inventory.
Over time, links were forged, this relationship of trust allowed them to meet all the chefs and their musicians including Yoro Sidibé, Sibiri Samaké and the very famous Balla Guimba.
These previously unpublished portraits of Donso initiates, powerful figures "who walk in time," bear witness to an ancient cultural memory, which is today weakened by a reflexive reference to the Western "model," but also surrounded by a renewed interest, particularly among young people. This book hopes to contribute to this.