‘Wit(h)ness’, a new art exhibition that explores ‘art-based ways of staying with the myriad crises’ currently happening worldwide, opened at the Cloudigital Art Gallery in Cape Town on 12 September, Cape {town} Etc reports.
This participatory exhibition aims to highlight the complex connections between war, extractivism, climate collapse, human rights violations and intimate personal losses.
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Visitors will be encouraged to engage with these realities ‘without succumbing to overwhelm or apathy’.
‘The exhibition is inspired by Bracha Ettinger’s concept of ‘Wit(h)ness’, which pushed beyond the traditional notions of witnessing as mere observation, and rather explored the complex processes of perception and engagement with trauma and the Other through a lens of compassionate creativity,’ said Dr Dylan McGarry, curator.
Ettinger’s work highlights the ‘importance of empathy and vulnerability’ in the act of witnessing.
‘It offers us a unique co-poetic act of offering deeper engagement with the traumas of others, something we need now more than ever,’ said McGarry.
All the art will be available for sale and the proceeds from the exhibition will go towards raising funds for Gift of the Givers, a South African NGO dedicated to ‘providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief’.
The exhibition showcases a variety of South African artists such as Katherine Glenday, Zayhaan Khaan, Lyall Sprong, Dom De Villiers, Luke Metelerkamp, Mishal Weston, Kristen McClarty, Amy Simons, Inge Prins and Ilené Bothma.
It also hosts the work of USA-based artist Naba Yasir, who has created a ‘living and growing archive’ using traditional Palestinian Tatreez embroidery, to hold vigil for Palestine.
‘Tatreez symbolises unity among Palestinians, woven together by their love for their homeland and resilience since 1948. This piece was presented as an installation,’ said Yasir.
‘The large scale of the design forced viewers to confront the ugly, heart-breaking truth while observing a beautiful pattern,’ Yasir added.
In addition to this, the ‘Cape Town Stitch To Resist’ movement is finding ways to not just resist, but also ‘re-exist’, and will be creating a collaborative response in embroidery over the course of the exhibition.
The Gallery hopes visitors will experience how ‘Wit(h)nessing’ can expand a person’s understanding of ‘bearing witness beyond legal frameworks, beyond debate and evidence hierarchies’, as well as emphasising ethical solidarity and interconnectedness.
As visitors can immerse themselves in the narratives and experiences and add to the growing work presented in ‘Wit(h)ness’, they are encouraged to ‘reflect on their own roles within systems of exploitation and violence’.
Embracing the practice of ‘wit(h)nessing’ can allow individuals to fully assess situations before they can take action, which can foster a deeper understanding of their impact on the world around them.
Through dialogue, reflection and collective ‘wit(h)nessing’, this exhibition seeks to inspire urgency and solidarity among those committed to creating a ‘just and sustainable future’.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 12 September until the end of December 2024.
The exhibition entry fees are R70 for South Africans, R100 for international visitors and R50 for students and pensioners, while children have free entry.
Cloudigital Art is located at The Foundry, 74 Cardiff Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town.
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Picture: Supplied
