Why I'm interested in Yoruba culture -Vera Botterbusch

An exhibition, “Views and Secrets Vom Abeokuta an Isara”, by a German photographer, filmmaker and painter, Vera Botterbusch, held from November 18 to 22, 2014 during the Ake Art and Book Festival in Kuto Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. In this interview with ADA DIKE, Botterbushc speaks on why she is interested in Yoruba culture.

=========

Vera Botterbusch

Vera Botterbusch

Can you give insight to your background?

I was born in Dortmund, but I live in Munich. I Studied German and French literature, art and directing in Bonn, Münster, Grenoble and Munich.

I am photogragrapher, fillmaker, writer and publicist about art, film, literature and theater for newspapers (Süddeutsche Zeitung ) and radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk).

The German Consulate sponsored my recent visit tripto Nigeria during the second edition of Ake Arts and Book Festival in Abeokuta in November 2014.

How long have you been making film, painting and shooting documentary photographs?

I started making films in 1974. I have a 200-page novel and other projects.

How many films have you produced?

I have done more than 15 films about literature including Soyinka. I have films about music, French and German writers (because my English is not fluent). I am interesting about the feelings of the writers. I have done films about arts.

Are you happy doing art?

For me, it is great because I make photos like painting and so on.

You took photographs of Isara, Abeokuta in Ogun State, Nigeria some years ago. Between 1999 and 2014, have you seen any change in terms of development in Isara?

When I visited Isara after my arrival, I discovered that a lot of positive developments have taken place there. I was confused because I was looking for the old places but I couldn’t recognize any place there. I was looking for the primary school, market and stores I visited, but felt bad that everything is gone. There is a big contrast and it makes me sad.

Why does the transformation that took place in Isara town make you sad?

The beauty of the town is gone. I loved the way the place was because the buildings I saw there 16 years had stories associated with them.

I am sad because, despite the change in terms of modern roads and modern buildings, I saw hardship and suffering on the faces of the people. The change did not affect their standard of living. This is what is also happening in Germany. All the paradise they paint it to be does not exist.

I took the pictures when I was making 45-minutes’ documentary on Isara. I was so impressed of the people. They are open so we had good communication. It is better to be a human being without a telephone or iPhone than to have an iPhone without life. I feel the emotion of the people when I look at the pictures.

How did Germans react when they saw the photographs?

They were happy to view another culture through my photographs. I like to give a feeling to my photographs that was why I took those pictures. You speak with pictures to open your inner mind to commence a dialogue with people.

I have seen many artistic works by Africans and I like them because they convey interesting messages.

How many exhibitions have you done?

I have done two exhibitions in Germany and one in Nigeria. I did a catalogue and wrote about Yoruba culture and Prof. Wole Soyinka. I made some explanations and felt like an ambassador in the write-up. I am aware that Nigeria has many ethnic groups with different cultures. Here, I speak of Yoruba culture because I know a little bit of it and would not like to speak in a superficial way. To me, the pictures are more than words because you have emotions and see the peaceful faces of the ladies. Some of the ladies were meditating and it was touching. I decided to show other people what I feel in my heart because when I made the pictures, I felt touching when I saw their situation.

The masks Yoruba masquerades wear look fantastic and inspire me to see timeless pieces. That is why I am planning to make a film about literature which talks about Africans’ ways of life. I had the possibility of meeting Prof Soyinka 16 years ago.

I exhibited these photos for the first time in Munich in 2010 and Soyinka saw my photos and liked them.  I met him in Germany last year and he told me that he would like me to exhibit them in Abeokuta, Nigeria and added that those places were not like that anymore. When I visited Nigeria, I found that everywhere has changed in Abeokuta including Alake of Egbaland’s palace.  

I used the title, “Views and Secrets Vom Abeokuta an Isara’ because I took the photos from Isara.

The Isara photos are dedicated to Soyinka’s 80^th birthday. My photos express the reality behind the reality to let people feel the mystery in the reality. I once made photos of the four elements – fire, light water and air, and I found out that these four elements are here.  I like to discover the mystery. For me, the mystery is in us and those photos over there. You can begin a conversation with them.