There Is a There There: Place in African Cityscapes

Abstract

This essay proposes a theoretical framework, based in the philosophy and aesthetics of Yoruba people (Nigeria), for interpreting urban photographic series. To do so I look at oríkì, a form of Yoruba oral literature, and the ways in which it resonates and intersects with Western philosophical conceptualizations of place and urban and literary theory to engender a rich and complex sense of place. I argue this by exploring two series of cityscapes: Akinbode Akinbiyi's “Lagos: All Roads,” which depicts Lagos Nigeria, and Mouna Karray's “Murmurer,” depicting Sfax, Tunisia.

Keywords:

• Akinbode Akinbiyi
• Mouna Karray
• oríkì
• Lagos
• Sfax
• Photography