Omar Victor Diop’s “Being There” Series.
Imagine a traditional ceremony in your typical Ghanaian hometown, and the ‘abusuapayin’ was called to speak, but instead, a Chinese man steps forward, introducing himself as “Kofi Yeboah.” Can you imagine the ripples of confusion that would go through the crowd? Now, let’s strip away all that imagination and forget about “Kofi Yeboah,” and let’s talk about Omar Victor Diop’s series “Being There.”
The series is an idea that was brought to life by British photographer Lee Shulman and Senegalese self-portraitist Omar Victor Diop, where they place Diop into a collection of 1950s and 1960s American family photos. The original photos were purchased from eBay, in Kodachrome slides and part of Shulman’s “Anonymous Project,” are devoid of any known identities.
The project, which debuted at Paris Photo in November 2023, had about 60 photos that had Diop in various intimate scenes, from ski holidays and college graduations to picnics by the roadside and public swimming pools.
Shulman and Diop wanted to highlight the racial and class privileges inherent in the historical moments of America, especially given their context in the segregated South during the civil rights era.
Using period props and digital post-production, Diop was able to fit into the images with ease, making it look like a time traveler or an uninvited guest in those photos. The series created a sense of reflection for viewers in their own lives while maintaining a playful and satirical tone.
Either way, “Being There” serves as a contemporary commentary on historical exclusion and current social dynamics, emphasizing that much remains unchanged despite decades of progress.