KOCHI:  Whenever Kibuuka Mukisa Oscar travels to a new city, the young Ugandan photographer makes a social media call asking for local breakdancers. It was the same when he visited Kochi, ahead of India’s only biennale.“Any Bboys in Kochi area?” asked his Instagram page. Prompt came the response from a member of Kerala’s Southside Bboys, who had been following the Ugandan artist.

This is an incident the 26-year-old, hailing from Uganda’s capital Kampala, narrates happily in the context of his work being showcased at the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale that is on till March 29. ‘Breaking Uganda; Capturing Uganda’s Breakdance Revolution’ represents the evolution of breakdance in his native land in the fertile Nile basin.

So, what is Bboys? Rather, who are they? Well, they are breakdancers. Known for their athleticism, they perform to vibrant beat of drums, primarily on the streets. As for Southside Bboys, also called SSB, it is a group formed in Kochi in 2014. The group comprises 11 members specialising in street dances such as b-boying, hip-hop, popping and house.Kibuuka says his main aim is to record and promote the growing hip-hop culture  across the world. His series of work at Kashi Art Gallery in Fort Kochi traces the history of his homeland through dance. “I want to raise awareness on the impact breakdance can have on people’s lives,” says the artist, who is also a social worker. 

“By translating the work of the practitioners in workshops, schools, slums, rural areas and cities into images, I use my voice to visually celebrate the positive living associated with this dance.”Breakdancing has been widely popular in Africa’s hip-hop culture, and Uganda is no exception. From early this decade, Kibuuka has been documenting the relentless energy of Bboys. “Anywhere I go, I try to link up with skaters and Bboys of that place,” says the self-taught photographer. “Meeting local talents makes me feel at home and welcomed,” he says.

That is how Kibuuka has had an Indian association, much before the ongoing 2018 Biennale. As part of his “life-long” artistic project, he jammed with a Bboying group in Kochi. It resulted in an amazing set of photographs featuring SSB and their street-style dance. “I wish to give a smile to the world through my lens, says the artist, adding the Biennale project seeks to evoke a positive dialogue about the African continent. Meeting SSB was “very organic”, says Kibuuka. “We were speaking the same language: Of dance. These guys had great energy and style for dance. It’s great experience to associate with them.”

At the 108-day biennale here, Kibuuka also displays his photographs on skateboarding culture. The series, titled ‘Ethiopia Skate’, notes how the financially poor youth that frequent skateparks are forced to work for low incomes. “The skatepark thus becomes an arena of self-exploration, expression and empowerment,” he says.

KBF: Special auction preview today
Kochi: On behalf of the Kochi Biennale Foundation(KBF), a special auction preview, ARK (Art Rises for Kerala), will be held at Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi on Friday. The preview will be held in collaboration with Saffronart. Artists A Ramachandran, Abir Karmakar, Anish Kapoor, Dayanita Singh, Shilpa Gupta and Karthik Sood have contributed. It will be open from Saturday.