Photo Souvenir

At a dusty crossroads in the desert city of Niamey, Niger, a crippled beggar is sitting in his wheelchair. He is Philippe Koudjina, once a successful photographer. The 1960s, in the euphoria that followed independence: young people danced the twist and rock ‘n’ roll. Koudjina took snapshots and made a good living. Now his negatives are decaying in a rusty cabinet. These snapshots now have artistic value. In Paris and New York, large sums are paid for photography like this. There is hope for Koudjina now two French connoisseurs are trying to launch his work on the art circuit.