Exhibition: Celebrating Communities
Photographs from NOOR Foundation and World Press Photo
in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro and four cocoa-farming communities in rural Côte d’Ivoire
14 Sept - 13 Oct 2024
The exhibition Celebrating Communities: Photographs from NOOR Foundation and World Press Photo, supported by the Chocolonely Foundation and the Fondation Donwahi, features sixty photographs by twenty-one talented photographers, all of whom create work around the theme of community. The remarkable projects on display highlight diverse perspectives and narratives, underscoring the profound impact of community on individuals and societies both globally and locally. A traveling format of the exhibition will simultaneously visit four cocoa-farming communities in rural Côte d’Ivoire and the capital Yamoussoukro.
Exhibiting Photographers
NOOR Foundation: Fabrice Mbonankira, Clara Watt, Guerchom Ndebo, Joannès Mawuna Doglo, Justin Makangara, Maroussia Mbaye, Massow Ka, Olivier Khouadiani, Ayaba Lina Florence Mensah, Ngadi Smart
World Press Photo: Anna Boyiazis, Tara Todras-Whitehill, Matthew Abbott, Bénédicte Kurzen and Sanne de Wilde, Nadia Shira Cohen, Lalo de Almeida, Lee-Ann Olwage, Kim Kyung-Hoon, Rena Effendi, Aaron Huey
For this presentation, the NOOR Foundation showcases the results of its educational program Advanced Visual Storytelling in Cote d’Ivoire which took place over a period of eight months in 2023. Selected by an international expert jury panel, ten visual storytellers took part in the intensive workshops led by mentors and award-winning photographers Bénédicte Kurzen and Ishola Akpo.
Supported by the Tony's Chocolonely Foundation, these talented photographers spent quality time with cocoa communities, engaging with local storytellers and capturing their lives, traditions, and the essence of their shared bond. Through their lenses, the exhibition portrays the rich tapestry of life in local cocoa-growing communities, offering an intimate glimpse into the small village of Amanikro.
You can find the information about the public programmes and the travelling exhibition below the page.
Cocoa-farming Communities in the Small Village of Amanikro
“Amanikro differs from the way most societies in West Africa are organised, where each community owns its own land. Here, the passion for growing cocoa is the basis of a deep rooted bond.”
— Guerchom Ndebo
The story of the village began on the road. Driven by a desire for freedom and independence, Kunakwaju Avi decided, after the death of his father, to set off far from his family, to find a refuge where he could bring up his children. A long walk brought him to a corner of the bush where he chose to settle and farm. Coffee or cocoa? The choice was difficult.
After a few months’ work, a dynamic began to develop around Avi’s house. Several other people arrived in this, as yet unnamed, settlement. One of them was Amani, from whom the name of the village Amani Kro derives, being that Amani was older than Avi.
Photo by Justin Makangara: In Amanikro, Cacao is King - Victorine Koffi Amoene, 33, lives in the village of Amanikro. An ambassador for children’s rights and protection, she raises awareness among local families and works on the plantation, Amanikro, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.
In Amanikro, a Baoulé village in the province of Divo, west of Abidjan, everything revolves around a tree with exceptional powers: the cocoa tree. Nearly everyone in Amanikro is a cocoa farmer. Village is centered on around the cocoa plant, shaping daily routines and festivities. Spirituality, family values, and artistic expression interweave hopes, fears, and joys into the fabric of everyday life. The community is the lifeblood that sustains its people, and the bonds between residents resemble those of a close-knit family. Men and women, parents, elders, children, brothers, and sisters come together as one family, each contributing uniquely to the community's resilience and strength.
“‘The life of a cocoa farmer is far from easy, but it is a very interesting one. Here, happiness is not limited to modernity and material goods. If you choose to be happy, you undoubtedly will be. That is the utopia of Amanikro.’”
Photo by Fabrice Mbonankira: Amanikro Utopia - Women in the village work together, often balancing their responsibilities while caring for their children, Amanikro, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.
As the sun rises, the men and women quickly begin their respective tasks. Everyone has to help stock the larder. Those working in the cocoa fields leave at dawn, heading off into the peaceful countryside. In the village, the children play whilst the elders rest out of the sun. The climate in the Ivorian bush is equatorial, hot and humid, with temperatures in the shade regularly exceeding 30 degrees.
There aren’t a thousand and one opportunities here. The village is entirely surrounded by bush. There are no passable roads, no health facilities, no school, no electricity and little drinking water. There is only one well for the whole village and it takes an incredible amount of strength to use it. For all other sanitation, the population must rely on the marigots, the surrounding streams.
Despite the adversity, Amanikro exudes a certain joie de vivre, a joyful and exuberant spirit of life. When evening comes after a hard day’s work, a spirit of communion predominates between spouses, parents and children, brothers and sisters. Everyone seems to belong to the same family.
‘Taking portraits and snapshots with a Polaroid camera, I subsequently chose to hang the photographs on the delicate leaves of a branch, cut from a cocoa tree.’
— Ayaba Lina Florence Mensah
The village is home to an extraordinary group of women whose lives and history are entwined with the cocoa-growing community. Alongside the men who grow the cocoa, the women of this community combine ancestral wisdom with a deep respect for the earth in the arduous task of providing food self-sufficiency to the community.
Young people make up nearly 60% of the population with agriculture being their main source of employment in the community. Many of them work in fields, plantations and in workshops processing agricultural products.
The community combines ancestral wisdom with modern techniques to protect their land, maintaining soil fertility through practices like crop rotation and planting cover crops. Intergenerational expertise, passed down through generations, focuses on environmental preservation and sustaining themselves. Their deep connection to each other and the land serves as a good example for us all.
Photo by Maroussia Mbayé: Cocoa Dreams - The cocoa-growing community of Amanikro, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.
Amanikro, Chimera of Cacao, Mirage of Chocolate
Complementing the exhibition, the poetic narrative “Amanikro, Chimera of Cacao, Mirage of Chocolate” by Gauz’ offers a reflective journey into the world of cocoa production. This evocative piece contrasts the sensory delight of chocolate with the often overlooked labor and environmental impact involved in its creation. Through vivid imagery and metaphor, Gauz’ invites visitors to see beyond the surface and acknowledge the deeper stories embedded in every bite of chocolate.
On 4-5 October, a two-day writing workshop led by photographer and writer Gauz’ will take place at Fondation Donwahi to help photographers enhance their work through the power of words. More information can be found below on the page.
“An ice cream, a cake, a confectionery, a treat, or a chocolate bar always transports you to realms of sweetness, voluptuousness, delight, and exotic delicacies... but never will it lead you to a tropical forest. Never does the “hmm!” of pleasure exhaled while biting into a chocolate fondant echo the “han!” of labour exhaled while swinging a machete in a shaded undergrowth. Never does a demand for flavour invoke a demand for the strength of a distant arm. Never does a cone dripping with dark chocolate speak of a black chest dripping with sweat. Never does a steaming dessert speak of a galloping desert. Never does a sweet bitterness on the palate speak of a sharp sourness in a shaky hut. Never does theobromine, the molecule of the chocolate thrill, speak of dubious chemistry imposed on exposed lands, waters, and bones. Never does mousse speak of the bush... Never does the sweet bother with doubt. That is why taste is a sense to which one must know how to give sight.’’
— Gauz’
Photo by Ngadi Smart - Shadows in Still Life: A photo-collage exploring the concept of the 'invisibility' of cocoa farming communities, Divo, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.
Photo by Clara Watt: Grâce à Dieu, Sa Ira Maman - Shadows and silhouettes of the cocoa farmers blend with the words and drawings that decorate the houses, Amanikro, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.
Photo by Joannès Mawuna Doglo: Liké n’ga bé oumingni - Trousers and a belt, typical work clothes on the cocoa plantations, Amanikro, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023.
Beyond the delicious flavours of chocolate lie the stories of dreams, hope and community, just as every person in this world. Their voices and their stories often remain untold as we taste the fruits of their labour. This invisibility is perpetuated by a lack of direct connection between consumers and the origin of their chocolate products, something which some in the cocoa industry aim to change.
World Press Photo Selection
Photo by Bénédicte Kurzen & Sanne de Wilde: Kehinde Quadrat and Taiwo Badrat stand side-by-side, as if shadows of each other, in Igbo-Ora, Nigeria, 2018.
World Press Photo selected ten projects from its archive that explore aspects of community in various countries such as Australia, Nigeria, Mexico, and Romania. The photographs on view celebrate what binds different kinds of communities, as well as the resilience and strength that can result from community ties.
Photographers included in the exhibition depict ways that connectivity shapes our world and defines our human relationships. Their images also frequently visualise communities as catalysts for change—whether they protect the environment, advocate for justice, or build a more equitable society. Find out more details HERE.
Credits, left to right: Anna Boyiazis, Nadia Shira Cohen, Lee Ann Olwage
Celebrating Communities is more than an exhibition; it is a call to recognise and honour the vital role communities play in our lives. It is both a celebration and a reflection on the shared human experiences that bind us together.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition Dates: 14 September - 13 October 2024
Location: Fondation Donwahi
Address: Boulevard des Martyrs, Cocody 2-Plateaux, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Opening Times: Tuesday to Saturday (10:00 - 20:00 GMT)
Public Programmes at the Fondation Donwahi
13 September 19:00 GMT
Exhibition Opening of Celebrating Communities - by invitation only
14 September 11:00-19:00
A public program in the morning featuring presentations by photographers Ishola Akpo (11:00-11:45), Bénédicte Kurzen (12:00-12:45), and Olivier Khouadiani (13:00-13:45). This will be followed in the afternoon, from 18:00-19:00, by a panel discussion with the presenters, including a talk and a Q&A, moderated by Anna Alix Koffi. The program will explore the meaning, methodologies, and significance of documenting a community.
Workshop by GAUZ in two sessions
A two-day writing workshop led by photographer and writer Gauz’ to help photographers enhance their work through the power of words.
Day 1, 4th October 18:00-20:00
Writing 101 – Practical advice, logical structures, and choosing a tone.
Day 2, 5th October 15:00-18:00
Interactive session on writing story titles, summaries, captions, and artist statements, exploring how different texts can impact the way images are received.
The workshop is in French and free of charge. Spots are limited >> REGISTER TO JOIN
Note: Participants are encouraged to bring an image or series they wish to write about or any text they would like to work on.
Travelling EXHIBITION
Following its debut at the Fondation Donwahi in Abidjan, the exhibition will travel to various locations across Côte d’Ivoire. Displayed in Adzopé (14 September), Yamoussoukro (18-19 September), Daloa (20-22 September), Méagui (28-29 September) and Divo/Hermakono Dies (5-6 October), the show will offer opportunities for local communities in these areas to engage with powerful visual stories. Each stop on the tour will feature a full day of public programs, allowing visitors to experience and reflect on the compelling images that celebrate the essence and significance of community in our world.