About The Book
Grasshoppers, “nsenene” in the local language, are both a delicacy and a source of income in Uganda. They migrate en masse twice a year, right after the rainy seasons, flooding the sky in huge flocks before daybreak. Every night, a large part of the population stays up till twilight to hunt and sell them. Traps made of barrels and metal sheets are placed everywhere, even on rooftops, and strong light bulbs are used to attract the insects. Catching and eating grasshoppers is an old tradition in Uganda, and their high protein content makes them a potential food resource for the future.
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About The Artist
Michele Sibiloni is an Italian photographer and videographer born in 1981, currently living between Italy and Uganda.
Between 2012 and 2014 he has been documenting the nightlife of the Ugandan capital, in 2016, the project became Fuck it a photo-book published by Edition Patrick Frey.
Nsenene Republic is his ongoing project about grasshopper hunting in Uganda. It was shortlisted for the Pop CAP 2018 (Contemporary African photography prize), Photographic Museum of Humanity grant and Aperture Summer Open 2019.
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Specifics
Nsenene (2021) by Michele Sibiloni published by Edition Patrick Frey | 144 pages | 23 x 31 cm | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-3-907236-13-0 | English | Designer Nicolas Polli | Available here.
Three texts by Ugandan authors – Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (H.E. Bobi Wine), Katende Kamadi and Francis Sengendo – accompany the pictures in the book, helping to frame the cultural context.
