The relationship between a mother and her child, the knowing gazes of some children, and the island essence of Gorée, winners of the 1st 'Africa Focus' Photography Contest.

Yesterday, Casa África published the results with the winners of the 1st 'Africa Focus' Photography Contest. The winning images were I sogni sono più grandi, by Mauro Ariel Williner, y Cómplices miradas (Knowing Gazes) and Ritmo y esencia isleña (Island Essence and Rhythm) by María Dolores Padrón, with 119, 106 and 75 votes, respectively. I sogni sono più grandi is a portrait of the ties that hold together the relationship between a mother and her child: “A story of dreams, dreams that one takes wherever they go, that have no borders. A shared dream, a knowing dream, a dream from a mother to her child, a dream established in love," says the winner in the photograph description. In Cómplices miradas (Knowing Gazes), María Dolores Padrón recalls a situation she lived in the Senegalese town of Louga when she took out her camera and thirty children suddenly surrounded her, while one took out his own camera so they could take a photo of each other at the same time. The third winning image, by the same photographer, shows a combination of music, rhythm and colour on a corner of the island of Gorée (Senegal).

The first edition of  Africa Focus was launched with the aim of increasing awareness about positive aspects of the African continent, bringing Africa in general and the specific work of Casa África to the Spanish population, fostering the interaction of Casa África with users of social networks, following the web 2.0 philosophy. The contest began this past October 25th, and it was organised in two phases. In the first, a jury that included the photographer Ángel Luis Aldai and the crafts artist Félix Juan Bordes, selected 50 images from the nearly 200 photographs that were received, and these were subject to popular voting through Casa África´s Facebook page. During this second phase, the images were also displayed in Casa África´s stand at Womad 2010 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where attendees could vote for their favourite photographs.

During the first phase, Casa África received nearly 200 photographs, with the participation of photographers from Spain, Mozambique and Argentina, among other countries. The second phase was characterised by a high level of participation and interaction in Facebook, in which a total of 1588 votes were registered, as well as more than 140 positive and congratulatory comments for the contestants.

The authors of the three winning photographs will receive a pack consisting of catalogues of six exhibits shown in Casa África: Negro. Arte Centroafricano (Black. Central African Art), Singularidades, Bamako 07, en la ciudad y más allá (Bamako 07, in the City and Beyond), Africalls?, Re/presentaciones: ellas and Desvelos. As a sign of appreciation for their participation, Casa África has wanted to extend the award by sending a catalogue of Negro. Arte Centroafricano (Black. Central African Art) and of One Goal to the photographers whose images received more than 50 votes in Facebook.