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“Afropolitan” Comics Exhibition Headed for Gqeberha

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The exhibition “Kubuni: Comics from Africa” is a roadmap dedicated to the discovery of comics from sub-Saharan Africa through three focal points: the past, present and future.

Presented in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and Alliances Française, the exhibition “Kubuni” (“imaginary creation” in Swahili) takes you on a journey of discovery of comics whose stories take place in Africa, made by authors from sub-Saharan Africa and the diaspora. The exhibition presents works that draw their inspiration from ancient traditions, but also from more recent cultures. The comics exhibited were conceptualised and distributed in the West and on the African continent, emphasizing the global nature of the context in which they are set.

The first exhibition location is at the Alliance Française of Port Elizabeth, from March 16 to April 14, 2023. The AF of Port Elizabeth will host an online panel discussion on Thursday, March 16, from 18:00 to 19:00. The panel will feature prominent illustrators and experts in the field of African comic books who will discuss the impact of African illustration and literature on the global stage. The online panel will be free and open to everyone:

The speakers for this inaugural conference are:

  • Joëlle Épée Mandengue: cultural entrepreneur and the director of Bilili Festival in Brazzaville
  • A comic book author: to be announced

The exhibition will then travel to the Alliance Française establishments in Gaborone (Botswana), Lusaka (Zambia), Maseru (Lesotho), Pretoria and to IFAS’s Dibuka Library, located at the Alliance Française of Johannesburg, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In conjunction with this traveling exhibition, online features will also be made available to the public of all the media libraries of the cultural network in Southern Africa.

This collaboration of the 5 Alliances Françaises and IFAS is made possible with the support of the Fonds Médiathèque XXI, a Call for Projects for French-speaking libraries, funded by the French Institute in Paris (France).

The touring exhibition is a bilingual version of the exhibition first held at the Cité de la BD in Angoulême (also host city of the International Comic Book Festival), curated by Joëlle Epée Mandengue (director of the Bilili Festival in Brazzaville) and Jean-Philippe Martin (Cité de la BD).

Sophie Boulé, Cultural Attaché of France to South Africa and Deputy Director of IFAS said: “It is one of France’s imperatives to bring to life the spirit of the Africa-France Summit in Montpellier in 2021, and to ignite meaningful exchanges with our South African partners, especially in the field of the creative industries”

Guillaume Favier Nirere, director of the Alliance Française of Port Elizabeth added: “We are thrilled to showcase the incredible talent of African illustrators & authors through the ‘Kubuni’ exhibition. Through this exhibition and panel discussion, we hope to highlight the importance of African comics in shaping global trends and to provide a platform for these talented illustrators to showcase their work”

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.