PAST EXHIBITIONS

The First Monographic Exhibition of Daniel Rakotoseheno
known as Dany Be (1935–2021)
Pioneer of photojournalism in Madagascar
4 May – 26 October 2024

Curated by
Rina Ralay-Ranaivo · Jean Loup Pivin
with the close collaboration of Rado Rakotoseheno

Hakanto Contemporary
Alhambra Gallery · Ankadimbahoaka
Antananarivo · Madagascar

This exhibition brought together 168 photographs by the artist, most of them previously unseen. We chose not to separate Dany Be’s professional commitment as a journalist from his photographic practice, but rather to place these two dimensions of his work in dialogue.
On the one hand, series of images directly referenced specific contexts and fields — such as politics, social life, sport and leisure; on the other, they expressed the photographer’s gaze on places and spaces, situations and circumstances across the Grande Île, in both urban and rural areas, and even in remote regions.

Dany Be’s photographs conveyed the sense of proximity he maintained with his environment. Working within a humanist aesthetic, he captured moments and scenes of everyday life, produced portraits of people he knew as well as anonymous figures encountered by chance — or simply seized the spirit of the times.

His images froze time several decades ago, immersing us in major historical events that have punctuated Madagascar’s political, economic, social and cultural trajectory since Independence in 1960.
Moreover, Dany Be’s extensive address book and professional network enabled him to be present at the heart of decisive moments — during protest movements, periods of upheaval, and times of transition.

Interwoven with his personal narrative — marked by the challenges he encountered in the course of his work as a photojournalist — this body of work, whose aesthetic can be linked to the great currents of humanist photography, demonstrates how Dany Be’s destiny often ran parallel to that of his country, making him an exceptional witness to History.

Dany Be was acutely aware that the modern history of Madagascar was often overlooked by younger generations. In this context, and in coherence with his lifelong struggle for freedom of opinion and expression, the transmission of knowledge to youth became one of his major concerns, particularly from mid-life onwards.

He was also one of the leading figures in the professional life of Malagasy photographers. In the late 1990s, he committed himself, alongside Revue Noire, to producing the first works on the history of Malagasy photography, together with Pierrot Men and Émile Rakotondrazaka (known as Ramily).
We salute the trust and active collaboration of Dany Be’s family, without whom this exhibition would not have been possible.

Highlighting Dany Be’s artistic, social and political engagement constituted the first major tribute to his photographic œuvre.

Rina Ralay-Ranaivo
Jean Loup Pivin
April 2024

Excerpt from the text Dany Be, What a Wonderful World