Yasmina Benabderrahmane's 'Ciel jaune' Explores Colonial Archives Through Fungus-Infected Kodachromes

Yasmina Benabderrahmane (born 1983) presents her series 'Ciel jaune' at the Approche fair in Paris, dedicated to photographic experimentation, from November 12-14, 2021, at Le Molière. The series originates from mysterious Kodachrome slides her father gave her in 2009, stored in a tin box. During a lockdown away from Paris, she began scanning them, revealing yellow skies due to a color setting error. The images, taken by a great-uncle between 1969 and 1971 in Martinique and French Guiana at the end of colonial military missions, depict scenes such as a fishing net against mangroves, pirogues, a colonial house, and local people. The yellow tint evokes a sirocco wind or gold extraction, while fungi growing on the slides suggest decay of colonialism or resilience. Benabderrahmane's practice treats photographs as living membranes, absorbing context. The series includes prints with striking blue indigo marbling and water reflections. The work is presented by Galerie Bacqueville (Lille, Oost-Souburg) and was also featured at OffPrint and Paris Photo.