Photoville

Jan Hoek & Bobbin Case
Jan Hoek & Bobbin Case

Meet Mad Max Driver, Machette, Vibze, Ghost Rider, Red Devil, Lion and The Rasta Driver! These motor drivers proudly cruise through Nairobi wearing dazzling outfits on their matching bikes. The outfits are designed by Ugandan-Kenyan fashion designer Bobbin Case in the context of the collaborative project, “Boda Boda Madness” by Bobbin and Dutch artist Jan Hoek.

Both Bobbin and Jan were fascinated by the many motor taxis, known as Boda Boda, driving around Nairobi. There are so many of them that some drivers build the most fantastically-themed motorcycles in order to stand out from the other taxis and attract the attention of customers. Jan and Bobbin thought the bikers forgot one thing when they customized their rides: their own looks. They selected seven Boda Boda drivers with the most awesome bikes and sat down with each of them to create brand new outfits to complete the characters. Jan photographed the Boda Boda drivers with their new looks in the style of real life action figures in front of typical Nairobi landscapes. When you visit Nairobi you might see them riding around in real life!

Artist Bios

  • Jan Hoek

    Jan Hoek (b. 1984) is an artist and writer. He has photographed homeless Ethiopian men as kings and emperors, a heroin addict who dreams of being a model, Maasai living in the city in the way they wanted to be photographed themselves, and people he simply found through advertisements on the internet.

    Jan Hoek’s quest for interesting models brought him to portray Boda Boda drivers as reckless real life action figures on motorbikes in front of Nairobi landscapes.

  • Bobbin Case

    Bobbin Case is a 26-year-old avant-garde fashion designer born in Uganda, but based in Kenya. He dreams of creating costumes for movies and music videos. Some of his collections have appeared in Elle Magazine and on the BBC.

Organizations

  • Melkweg Expo

    Melkweg Expo

    Melkweg Expo is an exhibition space for contemporary photography and a platform for emerging artists, located in the heart of Amsterdam. With a focus on photography that explores identity, society and pop culture. Characterized by a distinctly playful and accessible approach, Melkweg Expo seeks to unveil high quality art – art that is innovative, engaging and inclusive.

    Melkweg Expo’s main goal is to nurture and promote emerging talent and present them to a broad audience – from admirers of art, photography addicts, art students and self-taught artists, to the casual passers-by of the venue’s central location and music lovers surfacing from the crowd of a Melkweg concert. Melkweg Expo is part of Melkweg.

    Melkweg stands for pop culture in the most broad of senses. Each year, hundreds of concerts, club nights, films and music films, theatre performances, expositions and multidisciplinary events together attract almost 540,000 visitors.

    The venue is located in the only surviving factory building on the Amsterdam canal ring, a former sugar and, later, milk factory.

    In the Melkweg, established names can be seen alongside new talent and emerging styles get the chance to reach a broader audience. The diversity of its programming and visitors have for years made the Melkweg a unique place.

  • United Photo Industries (UPI)

    United Photo Industries (UPI)

    United Photo Industries (UPI) is a New York based nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding of, and increased access to, the art of photography.

    Since its founding in 2011, UPI has rapidly solidified its position in the public art landscape by continuing to showcase thought-provoking, challenging, and exceptional photography from across the globe. In its first seven years, UPI has presented the work of more than 2,500 visual artists in gallery exhibitions and public art installations worldwide.

Boda Boda Madness

 archive : 2017

Featuring: Jan Hoek Bobbin Case

Curated by: Jenny Smets Fleurie Kloostra

Presented by: Melkweg Expo, United Photo Industries (UPI)
  • Melkweg Expo
  • United Photo Industries (UPI)

Supported by:

  • Dutch Culture USA

Locations

View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza

1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201

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This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
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