Riason Naidoo is a South-African curator, writer and artist. He is currently working on a research project investigating the link between art and literature in contemporary African art.
At the Cité internationale des arts, he will present his feature length documentary Legends of the Casbah, that focuses on select South African personalities of Indian origin from the 1950s who defied the racial stereotypes imposed by the apartheid State.
The film starts to weave an alternative history of this Durban community offering up a wealth of modern day street-fighters, boxers, gangsters, star football players, anti-apartheid activists, jazz musicians, socialites and a daring teenage girl motorcycle stunt rider.
Riason Naidoo (South Africa) is in residence at Cité internationale des arts through the Institut français’ program with the support of the French Institute in South Africa (IFAS).