The Zeitz MOCAA has unveiled its schedule of summer exhibitions, programmes and publications, reaffirming its commitment to being a comprehensive pan-African hub that engages and enriches the community through art.
Koyo Kouoh, executive director and chief curator at Zeitz MOCAA, remarked, ‘It is our ongoing mission to shine a light on the work of artists and their contribution to our society. Let us celebrate Mary Evans, Johannes Phokela and Mame-Diarra Niang while supporting a new generation of artists, including those in our summer group exhibition: Gladys Kalichini, Latedjou, Sekai Machache, Nyancho NwaNri, Pamina Sebastiāo, Buhlebezwe Siwani and Helena Uambembe.’
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The season’s exhibitions concentrate on avant-garde lens-based art forms and consist of a solo retrospective named ‘Self as a Forgotten Monument’ by Mame-Diarra Niang, along with a group showcase titled ‘Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers.’
Available for public viewing starting 27 October, ‘Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers’ presents works by seven artists, each exploring various dimensions beyond the physical realm.
This multidisciplinary collection of art, inspired by Jamaican author Kei Miller’s 2007 poem Speaking in Tongues, delves into spiritual, psychological and abstract themes through experimental film, immersive installations, performance and more.
Tandazani Dhlakama, a curator at Zeitz MOCAA, says: ‘”Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers” is an exhibition that celebrates the next generation of artists who use lens-based media. The camera lens is an effective medium that the seven artists have used to expand, project and reflect on how historical narratives are carried through the body and passed on from generation to generation. The artists depict how ritual, devotion and acts of remembrance can offer connectedness, bring restoration or provide alternative ways of seeing oneself within the cycle of life.’
‘Self as a Forgotten Monument’ offers a ten-year overview of Mame-Diarra Niang’s work, featuring innovative techniques in photography and immersive video. The exhibit also includes new site-specific installations that resonate with Niang’s overarching artistic themes.
‘This new season of exhibitions is an opportunity to acknowledge new voices in contemporary art while celebrating the garland of stars comprising Zeitz MOCAA’s rich art canon – artists who contribute to our exhibitions’ programme year after year,’ adds Lungi Morrison, director of Institutional Advancement at Zeitz MOCAA.
‘As a pan-African museum that happens to be located in Cape Town, Zeitz MOCAA is cognizant of its civic duty on the continent, which includes facilitating access to art practice and praxis. The eminent summer programming and exhibitions highlight our commitment and prioritisation of art education, critical thinking and art history through diverse mediums reflective of Africa’s art ecology.’
Both exhibitions will be celebrated at an event on 16 November 2023, where all featured artists will be in attendance. Zeitz MOCAA will host a symposium on 28 October focusing on artists Mary Evans and Johannes Phokela as part of its educational mission.
Titled ‘Survey: Image as History or History as Image’, this forum will facilitate discussions that contribute to a broader understanding of contemporary African art.
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While Evans and Phokela differ in their artistic approaches, Zeitz MOCAA recognises and celebrates their long-standing contributions to the art world. Their works challenge conventional image-making and consumption, offering a fresh perspective on historical narratives.
Panellists include art historians, critics and writers such as Alexandra Dodd, Athi Mongezeleli Joja, Kim M. Reynolds, Thulile Gamedze and Thembinkosi Goniwe.
The symposium will also mark the release of monographs detailing the exhibitions of both artists, providing yet another layer of depth to the institution’s commitment to advancing art and knowledge.
The richly illustrated publications, created by Softwork Studio and published by Zeitz MOCAA, further solidify the work of the organisation and its exhibiting artists by offering in-depth readings and reflections on their work.
‘The ability to make exhibitions, publish books and hold symposia is only possible through intimate and remarkable engagement with artists,’ concludes Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial Affairs Storm Janse van Rensburg. ‘We are humbled by the trust and access we have been given by all the artists represented here, and it is only through their voices that we can speak.’
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Picture: Supplied / ‘Amahubo’ by Buhlebezwe Siwani