Nigerians’ daily lives go on display
A new collection of photographs depicting the daily lives of Nigerian immigrants living in Dublin premiered at the Goethe-Institut on 4 July.
The exhibition is titled Decency, after a Nigerian restaurant in the capital, and includes work by professional photographer and Yugoslavian immigrant Senija Topcic as part of the PhotoIreland Festival 2012.
Decency provides a personal glimpse into the lives of Nigerians in Dublin with photos that show them doing various activities such as working in their shops, studying in school and going to church.
“I have been travelling to Africa for the last five or eight years, but purely as a tourist, however, I have always had an interest in the history and culture of African people and African society,” said Topcic about the inspiration for her work.
“So when [the theme] ‘Migrations, Diaspora and Cultural Identity’ came up for PhotoIreland this year, it was the perfect opportunity for me to embrace it.”
Topcic said she chose the Nigerian communities of Dublin as her project’s focus because of their prevalence and the strong roles they play in the city.
“We are really proud to be featuring these pieces,” said Goethe-Institut curator Jonathan Carroll as he greeted visitors at the launch. “Senija’s work is really an excellent example of what the Goethe-Institut is all about, which is to educate and bring together people of different cultures.”
Topcic added: “The photographs will tell you a little bit of what’s happening. But there is really no judgement in it. It is completely up to the viewer to decide what they will come away with from this.”
Decency will be open till 31 July in the Goethe-Institut at 37 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
