Maryam Jafri Independence Days /English/German

Independence Days features over 60 archival photos from over 30 archives of early independence day ceremonies of various nations from Asia, the Middle East and Africa. One of the main characteristics of The work is that the photos come mainly from public archives countries in Asia and Africa themselves. \n \nOn the first day of independence, until the official ceremony, takes place as a series of highly rituals codified and elaborate speech acts, implemented in public spaces and elite. The swearing-in of the new leaders, the signing of the relevant documents, the VIP parade, the stadium salute, the first speech to the new nation, all this is supervised and orchestrated by the power outgoing colonial. The photographic material is surprisingly similar, despite disparate geographical and temporal origins, as it reveals a pattern policy exported from Europe and in the process of being cloned throughout the world. The photographic installation appears as a typology, halfway between the grid and storyboard. Although much research has been conducted on colonial and postcolonial eras, this project aims to introduce a third element, surprisingly neglected, in the debate - this twilight period of 24 hours in between, when a territory transforms into a nation-state.