Omar Victor Diop

The Senegalese visual artist Omar Victor Diop presents three distinct yet interconnected emblematic bodies of work at Fotografiska Berlin: Allegoria, Diaspora, and Liberty.

About the exhibition

Combining photography with other art forms, Diop uses self-portraiture as a means to highlight Black history that is often overlooked by a Euro-centric society. He depicts the complexity of representational politics with dramatic, colorful, and eye-opening visuals that demand the attention of the viewer. By centering himself as the main protagonist of these works, Diop asks the audience to imagine a more just, and more accurate, depiction of our shared global history.

Diaspora (2014) draws inspiration from 15th to 19th century Western portraits depicting a diverse constituency of Black figures who had risen to high social status at the time; Liberty (2017), subtitled A Universal Chronology of Black Protest, reinterprets significant moments of historical revolt associated with the struggle for Black freedom; and Allegoria (2021), which imaginatively addresses the climate crisis and its impact on the Global South and especially the African continent.

The Omar Victor Diop exhibition is based on a 2018 exhibition by Autograph, originally presented in London (co-curated by Renée Mussai and Mark Sealy), this touring iteration for Fotografiska is curated by Renée Mussai and reflects the accompanying monograph Omar Victor Diop (5 Continents Editions, 2021).