François-Xavier Gbré's 'Radio Ballast' Series Debuts in US Exhibition Exploring Colonial History

François-Xavier Gbré, a photographer born in France to French and Ivorian parents, has debuted his series 'Radio Ballast' in the United States through a duo exhibition at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in late January. Curated by David Campany, the exhibition features Gbré alongside fellow Ivorian artist Nuits Balnéaires. The 'Radio Ballast' project examines the railway system constructed in Côte d'Ivoire over a century ago by French colonizers to transport minerals to Abidjan. Gbré, whose grandfather worked on the railways, spent about a year starting in 2024 photographing the rail line from northern to southern Côte d'Ivoire, investigating themes of colonization, independence, and modernity. The series title references both untold narratives and the crushed rocks used as railway ballast. Gbré faced challenges gaining access to photograph railroad workers, but received assistance from Ivorian Minister of Culture Françoise Remarck, who had seen his work at exhibitions in Abidjan and the 2024 Venice Biennale. Born in Lille in 1978, Gbré initially studied biochemistry before switching to photography at the École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques in Montpellier from 2000 to 2002. After working as an assistant in Milan, he focused on architecture and landscape photography by 2007. He has lived in Bamako, Mali, and currently resides in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and La Rochelle, France. In 2023, he completed a residency with Fondation H in Antananarivo, Madagascar, resulting in the exhibition 'Lova' (Heritage) documenting colonial architectural remnants. Gbré has been represented by Cécile Fakhoury's gallery for nearly 15 years, with his work shown at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London in 2013, leading to acquisitions by institutions including Tate Modern, MoMA, Centre Pompidou, and the Smithsonian Institution. Campany describes Gbré's approach as archaeological, using present images to explore historical contexts.