Moraingy

Moraingy is a martial art originating on the west coast of Madagascar, in which the adversary is seen not as an enemy but as a means to forming and proving oneself. Christian Sanna's photographes testify to the enthusiasm of the younger inhabitants of the island of Nosy Be for a sport both indigenous and traditional. For them it represents a landmark, the basis for a process of recovery and resistance of the Westernization of the island in the service of tourism. Among Sanna's black and white photographs are portraits of fighters seated in front of the camera and gazing into the lens with self-assurance and determination. Moments of warming up or solitude represent preparation for the fight, both struggle with self and a way of restoring confidence and dignity to those left behind by the developments of the island. In scenes of combat, Sanna captures the fighters in classical poses, suspended in time, attitude and gesture evoking the vocabulary of heroic epic.