Bakary Diallo's Video 'Tomo' Explores War Trauma and Memory in Mali
Malian artist Bakary Diallo's video piece 'Tomo' delves into the psychological impacts of conflict, created amidst the Malian Civil War that commenced on January 16, 2012. Set in a deserted village inhabited by ghostly souls and flames, the title 'Tomo' translates from Bambara to signify land forsaken due to strife. Renée Akitelek Mboya, a writer, interprets the character's movements as efforts to confront and process war-related trauma. Primarily a video artist, Diallo examined themes of violence through fabricated narratives. His works were presented at notable events, such as the Dak'Art Biennale in 2012 and the 20th Madrid Experimental Film Week in 2010. Tragically, Diallo lost his life in a plane crash in July 2014 while en route to Brazil for an artist residency.
Key facts
- Bakary Diallo's video 'Tomo' won a residency at the 18th Sesc_Videobrasil Contemporary Art Festival in 2013.
- 'Tomo' is a Bambara word meaning territory abandoned due to war or conflict.
- The Malian Civil War began on January 16, 2012.
- Diallo died in a plane crash in July 2014 while traveling to an artistic residency in Brazil.
- He studied at the Conservatory of Arts and Multimedia of Bamako in 2007.
- Diallo received a Lagardère Foundation grant in 2010 for 'Les Feuilles d’un Temps.'
- His work was shown at the Dak'Art Biennale in Dakar in 2012.
- Videobrasil was founded in 1991 by Solange Farkas.
Entities
Artists
- Bakary Diallo
- Renée Akitelek Mboya
- Solange Farkas
Institutions
- Sesc_Videobrasil Contemporary Art Festival
- Associação Cultural Videobrasil
- arte!brasileiros
- Conservatory of Arts and Multimedia of Bamako
- Lagardère Foundation
- Le Fresnoy – National Studio of Contemporary Arts
- Dak'Art Biennale
- l'Afrique en mouvement
- African Photography Biennial
- Madrid Experimental Film Week
- Instituto Sacatar
Locations
- Mali
- Bamako
- Dakar
- Senegal
- Montreal
- Canada
- Madrid
- Spain
- France
- Itaparica Island
- Bahia
- Brazil