Ghana Independence Celebrated in Photography Exhibition at Rencontres D’Arles 2026

The exhibition "Ghana! Rêver l’indépendence 1957/1976" opened at the Rencontres D’Arles photography festival in Arles, France, in 2026. It showcases archival and contemporary photographs that trace Ghana’s post‑independence transformation after ending British rule in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah, highlighting new condominiums, hotels, universities, hospitals and the growing emancipation of women.

Curators stress that photography was employed as a propaganda tool to present a modern, cohesive national identity. The show also situates Ghana’s story within broader African decolonisation, featuring Sammy Baloji’s "Paysage prisme: une traversée Katangaise" on the Congo’s Katanga secession and Regula Tschumi’s "Buried in Style" on Ghanaian funeral customs.