The South African inner city space has long represented the best of the country’s culture. After all, in the 80s and 90s, “rave and resistance” to quote filmmaker Zandi Tisani, were the order of the day and beneath the shiny veneers of everyday life, young South African culture makers continue to scrape back the city…
This year has been quite something already and no, I’m not talking about all the disasters that you can read about in the newspaper or on your social feeds. I’m talking about all the remarkable, progressive, creative, genre-breaking sounds that have been coming out of the Southern tip of Africa in 2020. More and more,…
Taken from DJ Lag’s Grammy considered EP Uhuru, “Amanikiniki” is a collaboration with Newlands West-based Unticipated Soundz. The track, whose music video was directed by Christ Kets, like the rest of the Uhuru EP is a return to the early, raw sounds of gqom with “Amanikiniki” in particular referencing the uThayela sound which Unticipated Soundz…
Popping up on numerous creative radars, Dada Khanyisa aka The Mighty Whale is propelling herself forward in the South African creative industry. A recent graduate from Michaelis School of Fine Art, the multi-faceted artist has already begun showing her sculptural paintings on big stages such as the FNB Art Fair in 2017 with Stevenson Gallery. The…
Art and technology have this shared power to transcend their original context, creating new contexts, and new worlds within which they can be used and understood. These elements meet in interesting ways in Daniel Haaksman and Spoek Mathambo’s new video. Shot in Johannesburg, it reflects the city’s hustle and innovations, its creativity and its unique…
This past Saturday, the Poetry Readings and Conversation brought together Gabrielle Goliath and Maneo Mohale in an event organised by the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. Founded in 1966 during a time of unthinkable violence and segregation, seldom has the institution presented us with such profoundly embodied explorations of Black desire, sensuality, and queerness in art….
On October 7th, Hamas initiated actions against Israel, triggering intense retaliation towards the Gaza Strip. The recent SA protests in solidarity with Palestine have been encouraging, but they do not cancel the adjacent silence. While some so-called activists in our communities advocate for justice in one context, they often overlook the plight of Palestinians. With…
On the 1st of August, the Wits Art Museum opened a solo show by Swiss/Italian artist Nicola Genovese. The exhibition titled, Sad Boy explores masculinity and the decay thereof. The day before the opening, I had the chance to interview Genovese and gain insights into his artistic intentions and material choices. The artist contemplated the…
From jobs, residencies and open calls: here is an updated list of opportunities this June 2023 for artists, writers and creatives. For more consistent updates visit our opportunities page here. Open Calls and Funding: Photograph by Surface NAC Annual Project Funding Call The National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) is pleased to announce the…
We Still Insist is a film project and live performance presented by The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember and What’s Wrong With Groovin’? A visual and audio archive installation that speaks to the history of oppression, resistance and liberation throughout Africa in the latter half of the twentieth century, We Still Insist, is…
It goes without saying that the pandemic hit the fashion industry hard, especially with how social distancing, lockdown restrictions and cut-off supply chains affected the cornerstone of the industry: the fashion show. Fashion week globally is a billion dollar business. Designers and brands prepare for months to produce collections to be worn by the best…
Part of the charm of the younger generation is their careful balance of a nostalgia-based creation, with an almost equal dedication to affirming themselves and their future in all that they do. This precise balance — of two seemingly different approaches to creating and living — come together in a perfect marriage to form an…
