Malick Sidibé (1935 – 2016) was a legendary Malian photographer who captured the lives of a generation of young Africans during a time of tumultuous social, cultural, and political change. In 1960, after Mali gained independence from French colonial rule, Sidibe found himself at the center of the country’s quest for unity and integration into the global historical process. Known as the «Eye of Bamako», he created thousands of photographs that served as a documentary chronicle of a nation swept by the euphoria of the time. In his lens, the life of the night city blooms with laughter, and the dandies of the African sixties—in their ultra-fashionable suits, dark glasses, and motorcycles—want to take everything from life with youthful audacity. They are full of energy, passion for life, and hope for the future. According to the photographer, the image of Africa was too often associated with suffering, poverty, and misery, and he always wanted to show the beauty and strength of life in his work.

Malik Sidibé is the first photographer to be awarded the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale for his lifetime contribution to art (2007). His photograph «Christmas Night» (1963), which was exhibited at the Béton Center of Visual Culture, was included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most significant photographs.