Homebound: A Journey in Photography

Overview

A collaboration between The Africa Institute, Sharjah Art Foundation and the Sharjah Museums Authority, Homebound: A Journey in Photography is a two-part exhibition about the work and career of acclaimed artist and photographer Aïda Muluneh. Part of The Africa Institute’s Ethiopia season, this exhibition is the first presentation of Muluneh’s work in Sharjah.

Curated by Salah M. Hassan, Director of The Africa Institute, with Sataan Al-Hassan as associate curator, the first part of the exhibition chronicles Muluneh’s journey as an artist and photojournalist as well as her multiple contributions to image-making since her return to her homeland of Ethiopia after years of living, studying and working in North America.

The second part of the exhibition, curated by Muluneh and titled ‘Addis Foto Fest: Nine Years Survey’, selectively recounts the evolution of the Addis Foto Fest (AFF), which she founded in 2010. AFF is a biennial event held in Addis Ababa and the first and only international photography festival in East Africa.

Homebound: A Journey in Photography, originally scheduled to run until 30 May 2020, features several series of Muluneh’s photographic works on a variety of themes as well as a selection of other contemporary African photographs that have been exhibited and/or commissioned by AFF over the past decade.

Born in 1974 in Ethiopia, Muluneh left the country at a young age and spent an itinerant childhood between Yemen, Cyprus and England. She studied film at Howard University in Washington, DC, and finally settled in Canada in 1985. She returned to Ethiopia in 2007. After graduation from Howard University, Muluneh worked for a while as a photojournalist for The Washington Post. She currently lives and works between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Viewing the exhibition

Sharjah Art Museum opening hours are 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Saturday to Thursday and 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday.

Audiences interested in experiencing this exhibition can enjoy a virtual tour on this link.