Malian Artist Bakary Diallo Killed in Air Algérie Crash, Was Traveling to Brazil Residency

Bakary Diallo, a Malian artist born in 1979, died in the crash of Air Algérie Flight 5017 in Mali. He was traveling to the Sacatar Institute on Itaparica Island, Bahia, Brazil, for a residency he had won. Diallo's video work Tomo (2012) was exhibited at the 18th Videobrasil festival in São Paulo last year, where it blended magical realism with Mali's natural landscapes and themes of trauma. His career included screenings at major international venues: the Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, Dak'Art (2012); L'Afrique en mouvement, Montréal (2012); the 9eme Biennale Africaine de la Photographie, Bamako (2011); the 17th Contemporary Art Festival SESC_Videobrasil (2011); and the 20ª Semana de Cine Experimental de Madrid (2010). Diallo studied at Le Fresnoy – National Studio of Contemporary Arts in 2010. The São Paulo-based Videobrasil festival confirmed his death. His work is noted for its visceral engagement with his homeland's environment.