Vintage Addis Ababa – Wongel Abebe, Nafkot Gebeyehu und Philipp Schütz

Vintage Addis Ababa was launched in 2017 by Wongel Abebe, Nafkot Gebeyehu and Philipp Schütz. The project is a documentary and art project that collects old photos from private collections to tell stories about the everyday life of people in Ethiopia in the past. In doing so, treasures are preserved for present and future generations that would otherwise be in danger of being lost.

Unfortunately, there are still far too few archives in Ethiopia. In the age of big data, the project takes a modern approach to storytelling by collecting more visual data points than in a conventional history book. This allows the viewer to form their own picture of the past. By making old photos of weddings, studio portraits, family photos, etc. available, the initiators want to provide a more intimate and comprehensive view of history.

They hope that through Vintage Addis Ababa, young Ethiopians will get to know and appreciate their cultural heritage and that foreigners can experience Ethiopia and its people in a new and fresh way.

The exhibition is part of the Photoszene 2025 Cologne festival.

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