Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA (Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) is a museum that exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.
The museum first opened its doors in September 2017 and has since established itself as a significant cultural institution in Africa and beyond.
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The exhibitions at the museum cover a wide range of contemporary art forms, such as painting, sculpture, photography, video and performance art. Zeitz MOCAA is well-known for its emphasis on African artists as well as its dedication to promoting cultural exchange and artistic dialogue between Africa and the rest of the world.
The following artists and exhibitions are currently on display:
‘GILT’ by Mary Evans
‘GILT, a solo exhibition by Mary Evans, a Nigerian-born British artist, is currently on display at Zeitz MOCAA on Level 1. The exhibition’s title cleverly plays with the words ‘gilt’ and ‘guilt’. The former describes something that looks like gold laid out on a surface, while the latter refers to the feeling of inadequacy and, in the context of the black experience, the possible result of surviving the historical wounds of slavery, colonialism, apartheid and late-stage capitalism.
Evans’ decades-long practice of creating life-sized silhouettes is a central motif in her work. These silhouetted figures are assembled in a narrative form called ‘history paintings’. The large-scale works serve as a type of glyph that counters difficult black histories and offers viewers an entryway into the artist’s work. Scenes of light-brown shadows placed against monochromatic landscapes recall histories of colonial entanglement while facilitating a humanistic reading of the black figure as a universal representation of humanity.
Evans’ use of materials such as paper and disposables gestures at the historical and contemporary ways in which the black body has been treated. GILT employs familiar visual motifs, specifically the silhouette, to highlight Evans’ consideration of the interrelational experience of black diasporas, migration and global exchange.
As part of the exhibition, Evans presents new work commissioned by Zeitz MOCAA, which is a site-specific response to a period of research and exploration of Cape Town and South Africa. The installation revitalises the rich iconography of shared histories of resistance and resonance by examining the history and psychogeography of specific cultural and heritage sites in the city that emphasise interpersonal connections to places.
- Running dates: 17 February 2023 – 29 October 2023
- Times: Tuesday – Sunday | 10am – 6pm
- Book: Webtickets
‘When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting’
‘When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting’ is an exhibition, publication and programming initiative exploring black self-representation and global black subjectivities from pan-African and pan-diasporic perspectives.
The exhibition features over 200 artworks from black artists around the world, with a focus on painting, celebrating how African and diasporic artists have positioned, memorialized and asserted African experiences over the last century.
The exhibition comprises six themes: ‘Every Day’, ‘Joy and Revelry’, ‘Repose’, ‘Sensuality’, ‘Spirituality’, ‘Triumph’ and ‘Emancipation’. The title of the exhibition is inspired by the dialectical shift achieved by flipping ‘they’ to ‘we,’ as theorized by Professor Achille Mbembe.
The exhibition’s accompanying publication, edited by lead curator Koyo Kouoh, includes essays by Tandazani Dhlakama and commissioned works by Ken Bugul, Maaza Mengiste, Robin Coste Lewis and Bill Kouelany. The exhibition is accompanied by a sonic translation by Neo Muyanga. When We See Us celebrates the resilience, essence and political charge of black joy and highlights relationships between artists and artworks across geographic, generational and conceptual contexts.
Read more about this exhibition here.
- Running dates: 20 November 2022 – 3 September 2023
- Times: 10am – 6pm
- Book: Webtickets
‘Not Working (Working Title)’ by Igshaan Adams
‘Not Working (Working Title)’ is a studio residency by Igshaan Adams as part of Zeitz MOCAA’s Atelier programme. The residency will give Adams, who collaborates and works communally, the chance to re-evaluate his practice and to rework artworks that have never been exhibited.
The atelier’s open and experimental nature reflects the working environment for Adams and his studio team for the next six months. Adams intends to foreground the people, practices and networks involved in his art production, which are often invisible.
The Atelier is an exploratory space for artists that provides Cape Town-based artists with an opportunity to create new work, conduct research and develop ideas for future projects. It is situated on the museum’s second floor and is open to the public, providing unique access and insight into the artists’ production and processes.
- Running dates: 20 October 2022 – 28 May 2023
- Times: 10am – 6pm
- Book: Webtickets
‘The Five Continents of All Our Desires’ by Joël Andrianomearisoa
The atrium of Zeitz MOCAA is home to a site-specific commission by Joël Andrianomearisoa, titled ‘The Five Continents of All Our Desires.’
This monumental installation, constructed from Andrianomearisoa’s signature material of black silk paper, comprises six large-scale sculptures suspended in an archipelago formation. The work celebrates relationships and connections, referencing land masses and geographies of the imagination, while exploring themes of migration, language and human contact.
Andrianomearisoa’s multidisciplinary practice places a strong emphasis on materiality and scale, with his delicate and ambiguous works embodying complex emotional experiences. ‘The Five Continents of All Our Desires’ engages in visual tension with the concrete interior of the museum and the remaining silos of the building. Though appearing as large black masses, the thin and soft materiality of the sculptures allows for subtle atmospheric responses to become visible, such as the rustling of paper caused by airflows from human movement.
The installation is accompanied by a sound installation and a display of 40 drawings, showcasing the artist’s graphic works for the first time. Andrianomearisoa has also collaborated with the Zeitz MOCAA curatorial team and retail partners of the museum to create an exclusive range of objects for sale, with all proceeds going towards supporting the work of the museum.
This installation is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant addition to the museum’s collection.
- Running dates: 2 August 2022 – 25 July 2023
- Times: 10am – 6pm
- Book: Webtickets
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Picture: Zeitz MOCAA / Facebook