BROOKLYN TRANSIT aims to serve as a cultural bridge between Africa, the United States and the other countries of residence of the African diaspora. It is open to all photographers whose work can fit into this frame, a frame as flexible as a jazz score allowing all sorts of improvisations and explorations.

Faced with the richness of existing work and the abundance of topics available, the organizers have seized the opportunity to define different and multiple themes for the exhibitions at this and future gatherings. These exhibitions however will have a common objective: to undertake all possible travels, whether geographical, inner or initiatory.

For the first edition of the festival, which is planned for the fall of 2007,
three themes have been chosen:

Movement and racial mixing : voluntary or involuntary exiles, daily trips inside a city or travels to a foreign land, migrations lead us to rethink the notion of borders, whether political, economical or cultural, as well as our human condition, in societies where racial mixing and diversity have become, more and more, essential elements.

Secret bonds : whether through places, knowledge, literary oral or musical traditions which reflect the collective imagination, or the reality of segregation and conflicts, our societies create discrepancies and gaps between individuals which sometimes seem insurmountable. Nevertheless, ties remain which reduce struggle and indifference in favor of generosity.

Brooklyn : a borough in the midst of change. Historically a multicultural territory where the first communities of free slaves settled after the Civil War, this borough stands as an ideal place of exchange with Africa. Brooklyn, which is currently going through its biggest structural transformation since the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, manifests an amazing cultural and ethnical richness.

One of the characteristics of the festival will be to enhance the vision of photographers living in Africa – a continent where in recent years photography has grown without obtaining the exposure it deserves.

Through discussions and round tables the festival will initiate reflections not only on the images created, their status, their impact and their value in any society, but also on Africa and America and their respective histories whether these be mythical or real. The festival will present several journeys through slide projections and evening events, as well as workshops which will take place before, during and after the festival at selected sites throughout Brooklyn.

Finally, this first edition of the festival will honor the Gullah, a community of descendants of African slaves who where shipped to the United States at the end of the 18th century, with particular emphasis on its abundant heritage of languages, songs, musical instruments, customs and other, and the vigor with which this community still thrives in North America.

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