Photography, a Power Object
The examination of the production and of the circulation of social identities of « modern » bodies through photographic images is the main subject of the paper. In 20th century Congo, photography is an artefact representing a « modern » person. A new medium, photography allows someone to put on stage his/her new identity and to exercise some degree of control over its circulation. In the last quarter of the 20th century, a few dozens of young women asked Simon Mukunday, a studio photographer, to take photographs of their nude bodies. What happens when women take control of the images of their nude bodies ? What is their purpose when they oppose social norm and what did they do with these images ? Did they wish to satisfy men’s desire, or did they use photographic images of their nude bodies as power objects in an effort to gain some control over their social position ?