Initially, SPARCK’s South-South undertaking was conceptualised as part of its Photographic Journeys project, which involved one-month residencies by photographers first in three cities of Africa and then in three cities of the African Diaspora in South-East, South and South-West Asia.
One week into the first Diaspora residency, it was clear that this second series of residencies had to become a project in its own right. The reason was medium. The media used by the artists were fast expanding beyond photography. Held in Guangzhou, China, by two multimedia creators, Goddy Leye of Cameroon and Bill Kouélany of Congo-Brazzaville, the first residency immediately morphed into a fascinating work of experimental video and prose. As this work was progressing, plans for the two following Southern residencies in Karachi (Pakistan) and Dubai (UAE) were evolving and here as well the media were exploding. Video and prose were appearing also as key components, as were sound and Internet interventions.
The Guangzhou, Karachi and Dubai residencies and their offshoots are now grouped under one umbrella: South-South Conversations.