3134 represents the distance in kilometres that separate Abidjan from Casablanca. Joana Choumali has lived and studied in Casablanca, and of those years she artist remembers “having kept a strong memory of Morocco”.
3134 also refers to the notion of migration, of journeys and dialogues, not only around the world and among cultures but also the interior dialogues and journeys that are a source of inspiration for Joana Choumali.
The artist uses photography to explore her identity. Most of her work speaks of Africa, and what she learns, as an African of the myriad cultures around her. The work is a means to explore various hypotheses, and to inspires her as she develops her concepts of the world.
“My work is testimony to this era, to what surrounds, a multitude of cultures, sub-cultures and phenomena that I observe, on my own continent or elsewhere. I really enjoy creating parallels of what brings people together rather than what drives them apart.” Joana Choumali
And yet Joana does not only address Africa; she carries a universal message, one of hope, through her different series. The special place in the artist’s heart reserved for Morocco makes Casablanca a powerful space to look back on her work, by presenting a large body of work that holds a part of what is deeply intimate to her.
