“Shooting the Ghosts”, a talk on photography as memory, not truth

CAIRO – 24 November 2017: On Friday, Simon Njame is giving a talk at Darb 1718 titled “Shooting the Ghosts” as part of Darb 1718’s Cairographie photography festival.

Simon Njami is a Swiss-born photographer, writer, curator, lecturer, and art critic. He studied law, art history, philosophy, and modern literature. His work focuses on African art and photography.

According to the description of today’s lecture, “Shooting the Ghosts” will discuss the role of memory in creating “reality” in art. Njami combines the principles of literature and photography. He considers the “story” that is created within the frame of a picture or in writing and the responsibility of the creator in making art which talk about a specific reality.

The Cairographie festival is a themed annual photography and video event that was launched this year. The festival, which provides an intensive program and various exhibitions, invites participants to engage with art and expressions. This year’s festival theme is “Transitions”, focusing on how “change” is depicted and interpreted through art.

The festival is organized and hosted by Darb 1718 Contemporary Arts and Culture Center. Its mission is to offer services that contribute and advance the contemporary art movement in Egypt.