Michael Tsegaye

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Michael Tsegaye explores and documents the complex interplay between modernity and tradition, using photography to capture the essence of his hometown, Addis Ababa. By focusing on urban transformation, physical changes in the cityscape and the resulting socio-cultural shifts, Tsegaye aims to highlight and address the changing nature of cities. Tsegaye’s work is an investigation of the connection between urban transformation and collective memory, specifically looking into the shared history of decolonization of architectural heritage.

Through the photographs on display at the satellite exhibition venue NŌUA in Bodø, from a series taken over a period of more than 15 years, Tsegaye captures the Addis Ababa he knew and grew up in, attempting to preserve these memories in a rapidly altering environment. Future Memories depicts the transformation process driven by urbanization and gentrification in real time, revealing the forced displacement and demolition of not only established neighborhoods and environments, but also memorials, burial grounds and cultural heritage.

Tiles have long been a captivating material, bridging public and private spaces for centuries. In his latest work for the Lofoten International Art Festival, Tsegaye uses his rasterizing technique, meticulously cutting tiles into small pieces and reassembling them into manually crafted photographs. This method highlights the interplay between fragmentation and coherence, creating a visual dialogue that resonates with both intimate and public spaces.

Michael Tsegaye (b. 1975) lives and works in Addis Ababa, where he also grew up. As a renowned social documentary and art photographer, Tsegaye has exhibited in numerous galleries internationally, most recently at the MAXXI L’Aquila at Palazzo Ardinghelli. He started in the Economics Department at Addis Ababa University before transferring to its School of Fine Arts and Design, earning a diploma in painting in 2002 before transitioning to photography. His work appears in international magazines and catalogues, including Snap Judgments: New Directions in African Photography, edited by OkwuiEnwezor (International Centre for Photography) in 2007. Tsegaye has worked for publications such as Der Spiegel, Jeune Afrique and Reuters, and NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières, UNESCO, and GIZ. From 2007 to 2008, he was part of GIZ’s Engineering Capacity Building Project in Addis Ababa. In 2022 Tsegaye completed a residency at ISCP in New York and in 2024, he curated the exhibition Unveiling Histories Through Archive Photographs at Wemezeker (National Archive and Library Agency) of Ethiopia.