Omar Victor Diop´s series Diaspora (2014–2015) draws inspiration from 15th to 19th century Western portraits depicting black figures who have risen to high social status in courts, science, politics, and social movements in Europe — yet often missing from conventional narratives. Largely based on historical paintings, which Diop imbues with playful contemporary references, the series explore deeply entangled historical relationships between Africa and the rest of the world, including trade, early diplomatic encounters and the heavy legacy of slavery.

In the series Diaspora Omar Victor Diop uses himself as a model. When we have a close look at the studio portraits, it can be noticed how all of them contain most familiar details borrowed from soccer: a ball, soccer shoes, goalie gloves, a whistle. Omar Victor Diop justifies the contemporary contextualisation he has chosen for the series as follows: “Soccer is an interesting global phenomenon that for me often reveals where society is in terms of race. When you look at the way that African soccer royalty is perceived in Europe, there is a very interesting blend of glory, hero-worship and exclusion. Every so often, you get racist chants or banana skins thrown on the pitch and the whole illusion of integration is shattered in the most brutal way. It’s that kind of paradox I am investigating in the work.”