Figures, 1889, Planisfero, 2015

Coinciding with "Platform Africa", Aperture is pleased to present a series of limited-edition prints by artists featured in the issue. “Andrialavidrazana’s project Figures alludes to histories of African cartography by convolving a bounty of locally specific motifs and actors: Nefertiti, Nelson Mandela, Mobutu Sese Seko, female Malagasy warriors, nomadic Lesothan shepherds, and a wealth of indigenous flora and fauna. While Andrialavidrazana painstakingly researches each motif to devise these elaborate compositions, she ultimately aims, in her words, to ‘remove the borders of meaning around specific imagery to inspire cross-cultural associations.’ On this score, Figures reverberates with fantastic provocations not only for rethinking historical uses of maps but also for speculating on the future role of borders in governing human exchange.” —Antawan I. Byrd, from Aperture Issue #227: “Platform Africa”

Archival Pigment Print
Paper Size: 19 7/10 x 24 inches
Edition of 10
Signed and numbered by the artist

Malala Andrialavidrazana (b. 1971, Antananarivo, Madagascar) has lived in Paris since the early 1980s. Her work has been exhibited in numerous international institutions, including: Fondation Donwahi (Ivory Coast, 2016), Bamako Encounters (Mali, 2005/2015), Théâtre National de Chaillot (France, 2015), New Church Museum (South Africa, 2014), La Maison Rouge (France, 2014), SUD Triennial (Cameroon, 2013), Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal/France, 2013), SAVVY (Germany, 2013), Focus Mumbai (India, 2013), Biennale Bénin (Benin, 2012), KZNSA (South Africa, 2012), Tiwani (UK, 2012), DIPE (China, 2011), Pan African Festival (Algiers, 2009), UCCA (China, 2008), Centrale Electrique (Belgium, 2007), Rencontres d’Arles (France, 2007), Herzliya Museum (Israel, 2007), Force de l’art (France, 2006).