Viviane Sassen’s “Flamboya” and “Ultra Violet” cycles were created in Africa in the places of her childhood. In these groups of works, the Dutch photographer deals with questions of perception and reception of images of people; Due to their open concept, these images can be located in the context of both staged and documentary photography.
Through her play with light and shadow and the use of symbolic colors – “Flamboya“ stands for a specific, colorful African tree – the appearances of their protagonists are transported from their everyday lives into a seemingly surreal scenery. Far from common Western clichés regarding an entire continent, the artist succeeds, also through her personal history and identity, in mirroring herself in the other person and inscribing herself into an archaic and at the same time very contemporary image of Africa.

Special thanks to the Mondriaan Foundation Amsterdam, Motive Gallery Amsterdam and Kominek Gallery Berlin for supporting the exhibition.