One Voice partner of Photogr'Africa exhibition for African wildlife
With his project Photogr'Afrique and his beautiful photos, Mathieu Courdesses raises public awareness about the protection of wild animals.
From the small golden mole to the majestic lion, Africa abounds with breath-taking wildlife. With his Photogr’Afrique project and his beautiful photos, Mathieu Courdesses, a photographer passionate about the African continent, wants to raise public awareness about the protection of wild animals in this endangered territory.
A”s a child, during a trip to Namibia with his family Mathieu fell in love with the African continent. Today, a safari guide during the high season, he travels the territory in search of its majestic wildlife and takes the opportunity to satisfy his passion for photography.
Aware of the stakes at work in this region of the world where lawful hunts, poaching and animal tourism are intertwined, Mathieu Courdesses wishes, through his photographs, to show all of the beauty of the African fauna and to alert the European population to the importance of preserving it. “I realized that some species are going to disappear, it touched me a lot and I told myself that I needed to raise awareness. To show people that there is still a very wild region in Africa and that it must be preserved.”
In Africa, poaching effectively destroys an elephant every 15 minutes and 4 rhinoceros a day. After drugs and guns, trafficking of endangered species is third in the world.
Thus, even if there are very large disparities on the continent, some species are alarmingly scarce: “In Namibia, there is a big problem with black rhinos, which are increasingly difficult to find. Their population is very threatened. On my first trip to Namibia, rhinoceros were easily found on the way to water points. Today it is much more difficult because poachers hunt them for their horns.”
The moments immortalized by Mathieu are wild and unique moments. They capture the look, the emotion. His photos are his response to the widespread belief that we humans are at the centre of the world. These images seek to challenge the viewer, to bring home an awareness. The world does not belong to us! “Humans can have a huge negative impact, but I’m convinced that they can also play an important role in protecting animals.”
For Mathieu, it is essential to keep hoping: “Everything is not negative, everything is not black. I see a growing awareness for the preservation of the great African wildlife.” He is currently working on a web documentary series for animal protection with the director Gilles de Maistre.
Humans are able to fight against the killing of these animal species. Some, more and more numerous, are fighting on the spot for the protection of the animals, and with very beautiful successes: “While there is almost none in the Congo, one sees more and more elephants, in Southern Africa for example. A few years ago, I followed herds of elephants with 10 or 15 individuals. Today, I come across the same herds with 30 or 40 individuals of all ages!”
The Photogr’Afrique exhibition is currently running in different locations in France. 50% of the proceeds from the sale of photographs and photo albums from the exhibition are donated to One Voice to support its fight in the preservation of wildlife.
Stay informed of upcoming dates on his website.
«Beyond its seriousness and its dynamism, One Voice is a great arch that welcomes all animal welfare sensitivities. It accepts both the most ardent defenders and the soul who is sensitive to animal welfare. It is for this reason that I chose to put my photographs at the service of this association.»Mathieu Courdesses
Pictures: Mathieu Courdesses