Place de la Musique
A Photograph by Jean Luc Andrianasolo
Observe the fold of her hands. Note how she has chosen to cover her eyes, to enfold herself in a dimness required for sleep. The other hand rests across her midriff, as slight in its possessive gesture as the careful manner she places her elbow on those flip-flops. Little can be made of the background—the depth of field ensures that—just as the lengthwise framing of the concrete slab clarifies what kind of portrait this is: a figure seen during the course of daylight, in the beauty of her repose.
— Emmanuel Iduma
“In Madagascar, whatever you photograph, you are creating a social documentary.”
This photograph was taken in Diego-Suarez, where my grandmother lives. I spent many summers at her house. In 2023, I was there on a research trip at the Alliance Française, thanks to Pro Helvetia. I taught the basics of photography by leading simple photo walks through the city. I also brought my 8x10 large format camera and decided to take four pictures along the walk. We stopped by the Place de la Musique, which is more of a small park with an old kiosk from the French colonial era. While there, we passed by a girl sleeping. I loved the way she slept because it reminded me of my friend who has the same sleeping posture. I suppose many people sleep that way. I remember taking a similar picture in a park in Antananarivo.
This photograph is part of an ongoing project called Sary Lava, where my goal is to photograph individuals all across Madagascar. I chose this photograph because I like the tension it captures. I had the time to carefully frame and compose the shot, thinking about the elements I wanted to include or exclude. Since I only had one shot at this, I took my time. She even woke up while I was setting up my camera, and we talked for a bit before Vanessa went back to sleep. She sells fruit on the streets of Diego-Suarez. What I really appreciate is how the experience of taking the picture contrasts with the final image. This is something very specific to this medium.
For me, photography is centered on people within their context and the concepts of trace and archive. I love photographing individuals who are part of a community because it carries socio-economic significance. Every time I photograph someone, I think about where they come from, how they live, what their dreams are, and how they struggle. In Madagascar, whatever you photograph, you are creating a social documentary.
— Jean Luc Andrianasolo
About Jean Luc Andrianasolo
Jean Luc Andrianasolo (born 1983) is a graduate from the School of Applied Art (CEPV) in Vevey, Switzerland, specializing in photography. Since 2012, he has participated in solo and group exhibitions. Notably, he was selected for the Festival Voies-Off in Arles (2015), the vfg Nachwuchsförderpreis, and the Prix Levallois (2017). In 2019, he was commissioned for the Enquête photographique valaisanne. He lives in Geneva and frequently works on projects in Madagascar. Find out more about his work on his website, Instagram, and on Lensculture.
RELATED — “Pass Me Over” by Bongeka Ngcobo
This photograph was taken that year at the Newlands Forest in Cape Town. It represents the exact feelings and emotions I was going through at the time. How would you feel when something you have been speculating for years has been confirmed to be true? What to do with the truth? It is said that the truth will set you free, but in my case it left me with so much hurt. I don’t believe I was ready to hear the truth, but I believe the truth narrator was set free.
LAST WEEK — “A Day at Kwa-Mai Mai” by Sauda Dhlabo
I was on a two month project documenting the activities at Kwa Mai Mai, a local eatery. Every Saturday I would visit to buy food and make the photographs. This was taken while I was waiting for my meal on different days. It takes about 20 minutes for the food to be ready, so in that time I walked around making small talk and capturing photographs.
This is the 134th edition of this publication. The newsletter also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.
TENDER PHOTO is a collaborative digital archive and publishing platform of contemporary African photography, edited by Emmanuel Iduma. Our aim is to use photography to engage with life on the African continent. We publish narratives about the people, places, and events pictured in photographs, contributing to nuanced and layered perceptions.
Every Wednesday we feature a photograph, a short caption about it, and a statement from the photographer. Last year, we published commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter, including CORRESPONDENCES, CONCORDANCE, KINDRED, INDEX, and AFFINITIES. Our recent Friday series was dedicated to the 5 photographers featured in Process Projected, Amsterdam.
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The picture somewhat reminds of Manuel Álvarez-Bravo.