PHOTOBOOK OF THE YEAR

Book signings 

Santu Mofokeng
Stories 
Steidl
Göttingen, Germany, 2019
 
Stories is an inventive series of publications showcasing the expansive work of Santu Mofokeng and his thirty-year legacy of bearing witness to the black South African experience. A collaborative effort between Mofokeng, curator Joshua Cheng, and designer and agent Lunetta Bartz, the book comprises eighteen individual publications, each containing a single photo-essay, that reflect on various subjects, both political and personal, from the long span of Mofokeng’s career. The topics range from the trauma of apartheid, to billboards, landscapes, and the story of Mofokeng’s brother, Ishmael. Mofokeng’s images and the accompanying introductory texts urge the reader to connect with his subjects and their lives. In “Funeral,” we feel the sadness and collective loss within the community. In “Pedi Dancers,” we become immersed in the animated energy of the dance. Each richly printed volume is simply designed, allowing the sequences of images to fill and hold each spread. “We feel that we are being taken through his life’s story,” notes Christoph Wiesner. “It’s a beautiful and original way to display this important work, and it connects to the original experience of seeing the work in photo magazines.”