One City, Eight Lenses

Curatorial Text

‘one city, eight lenses” is an exhibition that visually explores the dynamism of Lusaka’s city and urban landscape through the documentary lenses of eight Open Window University second year photography students. I hear quietness and commotion in Bryanna Chutu’s pictures. Her Lusaka speaks with signs: God bless you, stop, read your Bible, beware of the dog, danger, Keep Lusaka Clean, bad man, I scream. A generator barks on its leash, schoolgirls talk over traffic, and street vendors sing, while mayadi snores. You can smell Lusaka in Hope Thewo’s Polaroids. “The Cola Effect” reeks of red meat. “Mulilo” unfurls the fragrance of fish, while “Kushoka Nyama” sprays spices. The stench of a pit latrine oozes from “Polaroid 32.”

I remember idioms about corners when looking at “Truth” by Pearl Daka. “Grey” reminds me that a corner can be warm or cool depending on the saying. “Candy” tells me that I need you in my corner, but “Block” is a warning that your company could make me feel cornered. Kachilapo Mulongoti’s photos show me that I am a fence decorated with barrels. Like the red bricks in “Tree/Wall,” I have property, pride and people to protect. The fence in “White/Pink/Green” went to the same private school that taught me to be stonelike. The wall in “Green/Orange” wears a crown of barbed wire and a coat of ivy to keep the witches out. Taizya Simutowe takes your eyeballs on a tour of icons. Lean forward to look at the head of FINDECO House, the shoulders of Intercity, the hands of Cairo Road, the feet of Society Business Park, and the face of Addis Ababa roundabout. You see that the Freedom Statue still flexes in Kamwala even though he was evicted from the kwacha.