Ange Madame, formerly known as Angel-Ho, also known as Angelo Antonio Valerio won the 2023 Standard Bank Young Artist for Performance Art Prize. The Cape Town musician and creative director is known for her bold non-binary queer image and intense live performances that feature drag and digital media. As founder of the NON-Collective, Angel-Ho has…
Swiss artist and researcher Camille Kaiser recently completed a 3-month research residency supported by Pro Helvetia. From Studio Grey in Johannesburg in January 2024 and March 2024 to participating in the Iqoqo program in Cape Town in February 2024, Camille’s work aligns with archive exploration and fictional storytelling to communicate a personal perspective on history…
In an exchange that felt more like a salubrious meeting of minds, Dr. Portia Malatjie, the accomplished Head Curator for the South African Pavilion at the 60th Edition of the Venice Biennale, shared insights into her curatorial approach and explained her take on the prestigious global event’s theme “Stranieri Uvunque” (Foreigners Everywhere). Malatjie elaborated on…
The scene was set. It was early afternoon and the Joburg sun was uncannily serene. At the far end of the UJ Art Gallery, Dr. Thembinkosi Goniwe sat next to Mme Mmapula Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi under the watchful eye of Dr. Kholeka Shange. A group of keen students sat in a semi-circle around the pair,…
It’s important for Black creatives to stay connected, given the surprising similarities in experiences across different parts of the world. I had a candid conversation, with the prolific and accomplished author and artist Kayo Mpoyi, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and now a native of Sweden, based in Stockholm. Kayo Mpoyi’s work…
Sanele Matsolo’s innovative approach to his photographic practice illuminates the often shrouded world of traditional healing and spirituality in South Africa. We asked him some questions about the driving force behind his work, which offers a fresh perspective on ancestral work and challenges conventional narratives. Sanele Matsolo, the self-taught filmmaker and photographer, opened up about…
When we think of museums, we often think of antiquated white buildings filled with even more antiquated objects. Museums have a tendency to feel far removed from society. For museums to better serve communities, and support heritage and the arts, they need to be responsive to society. “There never should never be a single person’s…
Both on behalf of BubblegumClub and as a loving friend, I visited ceramicist Justin Brett and enjoyed an insightful studio visit and interview, which went into his creative journey and recent body of work. As I stepped into the space, I was enveloped in an atmosphere of creative contemplation. With candour and humility, Brett shed…
The land is black, and a farmer stands tall in the centre, watching over the women, cows and harvest. She finds root in the earth while her cow horns (shaped like a new crescent moon) point to the sky. A mother just initiated a child into the world, the cast at the foot of the…
Nearly a year ago, I spent a warm afternoon with one of my heroes, renowned photographer Roger Ballen at his Inside Out Centre on Jan Smuts Avenue. It’s taken me that long to finish this text, partly because the fanboy in me wouldn’t let me observe his creative process objectively. With over five decades of…
The start of art week had an air of obvious serendipity to it. Upon settling into my seat on the plane, I took out a book on curatorial practice, making my seatmate ask if I was of the arts. The book went unread, replaced by the discourse spanning the two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Cape…
When I was a young and impressionable art student, I had the misfortune of being taught by Ed Young. Jokes! 🤣 What’s unfortunate is that the brand of art he taught me to love, complete with the Maurizio Cattelans and Martin Creeds of the world was tailor made for white artists like himself and some…
