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The exhibition Africa Blues includes five parts on the documentary series Mal d’Africa, realised by Achille Mauri in the mid-seventies.

The exhibition at Frigoriferi Milanesi is the second chapter of Magia d’Africa, presented at Serra dei Giardini in Venice.
In 1975, after a long-lasting epistolary exchange, King Aho René Glelé, descendant of the God Agassou, invites his italian friends to visit him in Dahomey (present day Benin), a small country overlooking the Gulf of Guinea. The king lets the italian troupe discover “the invisible world and the secrets of the forest”.

The five parts (Wizards of the Rain - Black Magic - Traditional Medicine - Voodoo, a Religion - Africa Magic) observe culture and tradition of Dahomey, exploring magical-phytonic rituals and religious ceremonies; they show how the knowledge of plants, roots, leaves and their composition is the foundation of traditional medicine. The exhibition presents also photographs by Fausto Giaccone, taken in Benin during the making of the documentary and an extract from the video Bokonon.

Collaborators for the filming of the documentary are Gabriella Cristiani, editing, (Oscar for the Best Film Editing with The Last Emperor in 1987) and Franco Lecca, directing of photography, (today Director of Photography of the Italian cult-series Montalbano).

After production and broadcasting on the TV channel Rai 2 during the 70’s (excluding Bokonon, never shown on tv), the documentary was no longer vavilable for the public. The series, initially created as Magia d’Africa, it was later changed into Mal d’Africa for editorial reasons.

Microclima is a cultural programme that focus on projects relating to the natural world, cultural heritage and the public sphere. It is based at Serra dei Giardini in Venice with branches in Guwahati (India), Santiago (Cuba), Ulaanbataar (Mongolia) and events in various spots.

Africa Blues
31.03 – 29.04.2017

Opening times:from Wednesday to Saturday, 2 - 7.30 pm. Free entrance.