“The ideas, many of which will unfold through years of engaged political work, need not be perfect, for in the end, it will be the hard, creative work of the communities that take them on. That work is the concrete manifestation of political imagination.” Concealed in the corner of the exit (or entrance, depending on…
In this exclusive interview, artist and choreographer Tiran Willemse delves into the conceptual layers of his performance Untitled (Nostalgia, Act 3), presented at Pavillion ADC in Geneva. Merging the haunting narrative of the classical ballet Giselle with Kuduro—an urban dance from Angola known as the “dance of the mad”—Willemse navigates themes of madness, nostalgia, and…
The 13th edition of Art Genève opened on January 30, bringing together 81 international galleries and 22 institutional projects in a vibrant showcase of contemporary art. Alongside the main exhibition floor, the fair featured a series of special projects offering an opportunity to engage with less commercially driven initiatives. This year’s Art Genève\Musique programme launched…
One question played recurrently throughout my mind as I went through the motions of Nikhil Vettukattil’s ‘Defund The Police’ exhibition with Arcadia Missa. This being, “Who precisely is watching who?” It doesn’t make this facile to interrogate on the observer’s part, and something gives me the impression this exhibition, with its numerous, surveillance nodding TV…
We are surrounded by stories and we participate in the creation of them by living our lives. The way we choose to live and the stories we become a part of may not, if ever, be conscious decisions but a response to our immediate environments. Being able to decide what you want to be a…
Justice Mukheli is a South African filmmaker, photographer, and creative entrepreneur whose career includes directing Ballantine’s 2021 Stay True campaign and showing his work at the 2019 Also Known As Africa art fair in Paris. Born in Soweto, Mukheli’s Venda heritage informs his storytelling, which took off in 2010 with personal photo projects. A gifted…
Seth Pimentel, known by his moniker African Ginger, is a Johannesburg-based artist born in 1995. Primarily using digital platforms, Pimentel’s style incorporates painterly forms and textures, merging fine art sensibilities with cool, contemporary illustration. His hip eye has meant that Pimentel has collaborated with major brands like Netflix, Converse, Redbull, Hennessey and Adobe. After some…
Oldy Blaq is a proverbial enigma in that for this artist, there doesn’t seem to be an earnestness to go back into the past or step into the future, on the contrary, there’s merely a contentment with breathing in the present. More often than not, this intrinsic contemplativeness is a profound facet that spontaneously reflects…
The House of African Feminisms (HoAF) is thrilled to announce Abafa(ba)zi, a transdisciplinary exhibition opening this November in Johannesburg at the Goethe-Institut. A profound celebration of African feminisms and womanhood, Abafa(ba)zi offers a visceral exploration into the lives, stories, and resilience of African women. The exhibition takes its name from the Zulu words “abafazi Abafa(ba)zi,”…
Before we begin, here are a couple of fast facts; firstly, your height is continuously fluctuating over the course of 24 hours, no, caffeine is not responsible for your perpetual inability to grasp for the items out of your reach, and yes, you are doomed to shrink once you’ve passed 40. Thankfully, or rather, deliberately,…
Iyo Bisseck is at the intersection of technology and creativity, redefining digital landscapes and challenging the exclusionary narratives that have marginalized diverse voices. As an interaction designer, programmer, and artist, Bisseck exemplifies technology’s potential as both an artistic medium and a vehicle for social change. While the tech industry has historically reinforced colonial and patriarchal…
Traces in the Still Air, an installation by Lerato Motaung transliterates the unseen space grief and loss occupy in the recesses of memory as a new identity is carooned. This is the first installation-based exhibition from the artist whose artistic practice continues to examine interplays between individual and collective stories and is centrally concerned with…
