Malick Twist

No photographer captured the heady joy and unique style of 60s Malian youth culture quite like Malick Sidibé. From young couples dancing in tree-lined streets to the energetic fashion of a daring, newly independent nation, his work reflects a unique moment in the country’s history.

In 1995, the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain presented the first solo exhibition of the Malian photographer outside of the African continent. Now, a year after his death, more than 250 pieces – the largest exhibition of Malick’s oeuvre – is being showcased at the Cartier Foundation in Paris. Titled Malick Sidibé, Mali Twist, it runs until 25 February 2018.

The large retrospective exhibition is conceived and directed by André Magnin, in collaboration with Brigitte Ollier. Along with iconic works, the exhibition presents for the first time a vast collection of vintage photographs and portraits of a timeless beauty, from the artist’s archives. This collection of black-and-white photographs provides a thorough immersion in the life of the man who was nicknamed ‘the eye of Bamako’. The photographs reveal Malick Sidibé’s accomplishments – starting at the beginning of the 1960s – to grasp the vitality of the youth of Bamako and impose his unique style, today recognised worldwide.

For more information visit fondationcartier.com.