MACH DIR EIN BILD 2013-2018
(Make a photo yourself) / Burkina Faso / Rwanda / DR Congo
www.machdireinbild.com
„Mam nuong fo.“
Ich liebe Dich.
"Photography is something that can keep all memories of time.
It is something that can show every picture of everything there is.
But for me photography is also a different way to express ideas or thoughts.“
Nshimyimana Jack, Rwanda 2014
Makuza Ines, 17 years old, Rwanda 2014
Karenzi Teta, 15 years old, Rwanda 2014
Kazungu Daniel, 17 years old, Rwanda 2014
"I used to think cameras were just mirrors, but after I held one and used it,
I couldn’t believe that something so nice existed. I am so happy to take pictures and I will narrate my life through
photography.“
Penninah Kubwimana, Rwanda 2014
Manu, 16 years old, DR Kongo 2016
Musa, 11 years old, DR Kongo 2016
Manu, 16 years old, DR Kongo 2016
"If you open Google images and type in Rwanda, some of the first few pages would show you things like our president, the tattered homes or poor children or families of Rwanda. However, the majority of the first pictures will be the 1994 Genocide. I find this to be frustrating, because media paints Rwanda as a horror or poverty-stricken country longer than necessary. In Rwanda, not many opportunities are available to its people especially such as a photography workshop for the youth. I’ve noticed in all my four yearss here that the youth focuses extensively on fashion, dance and music as their artistic form of expression and I decided that I’d want be the odd one and use photography to show this and the many different sides of Rwanda.“
Ines Makuza, Rwanda 2014.
MACH DIR EIN BILD (Make photo yourself)
“Mach dir ein Bild” (Make a photo yourself) is a photographic project for children and young people in Africa and Europe to establish an artistic dialogue that opens up new, common perspectives no matter what age, origin, language or religion. In workshops each child is equipped with its own camera over three months. After the children have learned the technical basis of photography, they soon develope their own strategies for dealing with this medium. The camera is a constant companion and the pictures show the exclusively subjective view of the children – Western design parameters must be excluded.
What is important to us:
I. The importance of not helping“Mach dir ein Bild” (“Make yourself a picture”) is not supposed to help but is nevertheless solidary. It has a no hierarchical structure and people act on the same level. To support does not mean to give. It is about solidarity on an equal basis.
II. The importance of artistic support
The core of “Mach dir ein Bild” (Make a photo yourself) is the artistic support of children and young people. The project focuses on education through the arts. For example, the work with the camera will enable the participants to reflect on their reality of life and to communicate the experience externally. In regular workshops, a platform is created, on which children and young people can playfully question their identity.
III. The importance of a new
perspective
The objective of “Mach dir ein Bild” (“Make yourself a picture”) is the production of African art, which must clearly be separated from many artifacts originating from Africa but emerging under Western parameters. Accordingly, creative aspects of the workshops are exclusively in the hands of the children.The project provides authentic impressions of everyday customs and habits, festivals, crafts, dance, theater and music. These events are documented by the participants from their own point of view and with personal priorities. The relevance of these aspects is made clear that they are not promoted or stimulated by the project managers.