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Pieter Hugo

Permanent Error

Pieter Hugo

Pieter Hugo. David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

I first encountered the dump in a photograph published by National Geographic. This is a recurrent theme in my photography, how photographs prompt me to make my own photographs. Pieter Hugo

“This essay was photographed on a densely populated triangle of land in the Ghanaian capital of Accra. Bounded by the Abossey Okai Road and Odaw River, a polluted waterway that flows into the Korle Lagoon, Agbogbloshie is the second largest e-waste processing area in West Africa.

Old Fadama is an impoverished settlement that offers northern migrants to the city the cheapest rents and a convenient base close to the central markets, a major employer. Home to an estimated 80,000 inhabitants, this mixed-used area on a former wetland consists not only of formal and informal residences for disenfranchised migrants to the city, but a commercial bus depot, and a vast and differentiated marketplace that includes specialised e-waste markets. An irregular activity until a few years ago, large volumes of end-of-life computers and television are now handled by Ghana’s port daily. Shipped under pretext of being reusable electronic goods, items that are not saleable end up at Agbogbloshie, nicknamed by locals as ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’.”

It is here that circuits, transistors, capacitors and semiconductors are reduced to their base metals. There is, one has to admit, something beautifully alchemical about what’s happening there: these devices that are the pinnacle of cultural achievement get transformed back into their base elements. Of course, this is the sympathetic reading of an artist. The political ecologist Paul Robbins has described the dump as ‘a bizarre engine that maintains a self-replicating worldwide system of over-production’. I think it is fair to say that Agbogbloshie is a dark and dirty monument to the digital age, to our faith in technology and its built-in obsolescence. This idea of surplus and waste, which is key to our digital experience, is not one that many people seem comfortable addressing. Being in an environment like this, where geopolitical imbalances are being exploited to effectively dump waste on poor countries, it is hard not to take a political position. And so I have let my photographs be used by advocacy groups.

I first encountered the dump in a photograph published by National Geographic. This is a recurrent theme in my photography, how photographs prompt me to make my own photographs. The work was produced during two trips of two weeks each. I tend to photograph over two-week stretches. I find this is a period in which I can keep my eye fresh. After that you become too accustomed to a place. It was something I realised in Rwanda, how quickly one becomes desensitised and acclimatised to completely unacceptable situations, how the mind is capable of this.”

— Pieter Hugo

Details

Edition Size:

NFT 1/1

Resolution:

4k

Reserve Price:

1.5 ETH(From)

Works:

42

Sold:

9

Sales:

19.5 ETH

All:
42
View
Show
All:
42
01

Pieter Hugo

Abukari Sani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

02

Pieter Hugo

Kofi Abanga, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

03

Pieter Hugo

Al Hasan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

04

Pieter Hugo

Al Hasan Abukari, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

05

Pieter Hugo

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

06

Pieter Hugo

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

07

Pieter Hugo

Naasra Yeti, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

08

Pieter Hugo

Al Hasan Fuseni, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

9

Pieter Hugo

Mami Al Hassan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

On SuperRare

10

Pieter Hugo

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

11

Pieter Hugo

Kofi Abanga, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

12

Pieter Hugo

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

On SuperRare

13

Pieter Hugo

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

On SuperRare

14

Pieter Hugo

Abukari Sani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

15

Pieter Hugo

Aissah Salifu, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

On SuperRare

16

Pieter Hugo

David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

17

Pieter Hugo

Manaf Ibrahim, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

18

Pieter Hugo

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

On SuperRare

19

Pieter Hugo

David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 01:48, 2010

20

Pieter Hugo

Manaf Ibrahim, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 01:48, 2009

On SuperRare

21

Pieter Hugo

Yaw Francis, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

22

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

23

Pieter Hugo

Omar Idris, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

24

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

25

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

26

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

On SuperRare

27

Pieter Hugo

Yakubu Al Hasan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

On SuperRare

28

Pieter Hugo

Saani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

29

Pieter Hugo

Zakaria Salifu, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

30

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

31

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

32

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

33

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

34

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

35

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

On SuperRare

36

Pieter Hugo

Yaw Francis, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

On SuperRare

37

Pieter Hugo

Saani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

38

Pieter Hugo

PE 01, 2009

39

Pieter Hugo

PE 02, 2009

40

Pieter Hugo

PE 03, 2009

01

Pieter Hugo

PE 04, 2009

02

Pieter Hugo

PE 05, 2009

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01

Abukari Sani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00

2009

1.5ETH

02

Kofi Abanga, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00

2009

1.5ETH

03

Al Hasan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

04

Al Hasan Abukari, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

05

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

06

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

07

Naasra Yeti, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

08

Al Hasan Fuseni, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

09

Mami Al Hassan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

10

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

Sold

11

Kofi Abanga, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

12

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

13

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

Sold

14

Abukari Sani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

15

Aissah Salifu, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

16

David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

Sold

17

Manaf Ibrahim, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

18

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00

2009

1.5ETH

19

David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 01:48

2010

Sold

20

Manaf Ibrahim, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 01:48

2009

1.5ETH

21

Yaw Francis, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

Sold

22

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

23

Omar Idris, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

24

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

25

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

26

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

27

Yakubu Al Hasan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

Sold

28

Saani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

Sold

29

Zakaria Salifu, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

30

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

31

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

32

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

33

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

34

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2009

2.5ETH

35

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana

2010

2.5ETH

36

Yaw Francis, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00

2009

Sold

37

Saani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00

2009

Sold

38

PE 01

2009

1.5ETH

39

PE 02

2009

1.5ETH

40

PE 03

2009

1.5ETH

41

PE 04

2009

1.5ETH

42

PE 05

2009

1.5ETH

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Artist

Pieter Hugo

1976 (RSA)

Hugo is a photographic artist living in Cape Town.

Major museum solo exhibitions have taken place at Museu Coleção Berardo; the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg; the Hague Museum of Photography, MusĂ©e de l’ElysĂ©e in Lausanne, Ludwig Museum in Budapest, Fotografiska in Stockholm, MAXXI in Rome and the Institute of Modern Art Brisbane, among others. Hugo has participated in numerous group exhibitions at institutions including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, Barbican Art Gallery, Tate Modern, the Folkwang Museum, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and the SĂŁo Paulo Biennale.

His work is represented in prominent public and private collections, among them Centre Pompidou, Rijksmuesum, the Museum of Modern Art, V&A Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, J Paul Getty Museum, Walther Collection, Deutsche Börse Group, Folkwang Museum and Huis Marseille.

Hugo received the Discovery Award at the Rencontres d’Arles Festival and the KLM Paul Huf Award in 2008, the Seydou Keita Award at the Rencontres de Bamako African Photography Biennial in 2011, and was shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in 2012. In 2015 he was shortlisted for the Prix Pictet and was chosen as the ‘In Focus’ artist for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Press + Articles

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Permanent Error

00 / 00

Pieter Hugo

Abukari Sani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Kofi Abanga, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Al Hasan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Al Hasan Abukari, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Naasra Yeti, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Al Hasan Fuseni, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Mami Al Hassan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Kofi Abanga, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Abdulai Yahaya, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Abukari Sani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Bid Now

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Aissah Salifu, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Manaf Ibrahim, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Ibrahim Sulley, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

David Akore, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 01:48, 2010

1.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Manaf Ibrahim, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 01:48, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Yaw Francis, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Omar Idris, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Yakubu Al Hasan, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Saani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Zakaria Salifu, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2009

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Untitled, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana, 2010

2.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

Yaw Francis, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

1.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

Saani, Agbogbloshie Market, Accra, Ghana 02:00, 2009

1.5 ETH

View

On SuperRare

Pieter Hugo

PE 01, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

PE 02, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

PE 03, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

PE 04, 2009

1.5 ETH

Pieter Hugo

PE 05, 2009

1.5 ETH