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Paper short abstract:

Makoko is a widely covered community in Lagos, Nigeria. Within a photo workshop in Makoko, Lagos, research participants visualized how they wish the community's everyday lives were portrayed. Group discussions uncovered the ethical vacuum that surrounds coverage of Makoko.

Paper long abstract:

Photography has historically been used to convey a "truthful“ image to support a hegemonial narrative. In Holocaust camps, Jewish prisoners were portrayed as though they were merely in a work camp, and enjoyed their time while playing chess. During colonial times, exploitation and imposition were masked through the means of photography. Pictures were meant to advance the imperial agenda and justify colonization while solidifying discourses of European superiority.

Today, Makoko is a widely covered place, visually and narratively. The non-verbal language is often one of deprivation, otherness, subalternity and the need for "developing“ the place through expertise to be found outside rather than inside Makoko. Makoko residents do not have a say in their depiction and cameras have become a very negative symbol of exploitation.

My PhD research looks at the social production of water and health entanglements in the communities of Makoko. As part of the methodology, I organized a participatory photography project with a theoretical and technical component. 11 research participants engaged in a group discussion on photography as language, how Makoko is portrayed in popular media outlets and what this does to the feeling of belonging and confidence of those portrayed. We discussed concepts of marginalization, how otherness is created and how visual language can help introduce a perspective when the use of (hegemonial) language is skewed. A technical skills workshop (by a photographer) provided the basics of photography, which were then applied in two photowalks. The results will be presented in the panel discussion and paper.