Exhibitions

Phumulani Ntuli: A navigation guide to Kwanqingetshe is still on view at The Bag Factory in Johannesburg, South Africa until June 23, 2021

In an intimate exploration of the journey from boyhood into manhood, Phumulani is influenced by the idea of reflection, in an analysis of not only the self, but how we come to define ourselves through our personal and collective stories. Working on canvas and with collage, the real and the fantastic are blended because he believes that we cannot find the self without delving into both our realities and our imaginations. Human beings are then, a beautiful, complex tapestry of these kinds of contradictions – and only in blending seemingly opposite ideas can there be any harmony with, or the revealing of the self. Since the self is a mass of realities and fantasies that all seem to exist at the same time, each time we observe ourselves, we influence a different definition of who we are.

Maliza Kiasuwa: Pride of Origins is still on view at Morton Fine Art in Washington DC, United States until June 30, 2021

Kiasuwa’s technically masterful works explore the ironies of post-colonial politics and invent new futures through imbrication, embroidery, and the combination of heterogeneous objects. The exhibition Pride of Origins unveils recent developments in Kiasuwa’s practice, which is an ongoing examination of her identity as a woman of both African and European descent, scrutinizing the meaning of duality and otherness. The very distinct, but sometimes rival, traditions of local culture and the Church similarly ungird the artist’s exploration of a “double belonging.” Pride of Origins honors the raw, natural beauty of the artist’s environment, while also challenging assumptions of value in material culture to highlight the interconnectedness of the post-colonial landscape and its inheritance of consumer society.

Life in Flowers is still on view at Luce Gallery in Turin, Italy until June 30, 2021

Luce Gallery presents the exhibition titled “Life in Flowers” featuring Dominic Chambers, Auudi Dorsey, February James, Trevon Latin, Zéh Palito, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, and Barry Yusufu. The seven artists are involved in interpreting the symbolic language of flowers through the expressive power of painting, always evoking its meanings. The group show explores their relationship with life, which notoriously recalls the cyclical nature of the seasons. The works depict domestic and contemplative atmospheres, where floral and natural elements reveal an intimate dimension. Stylized, colored, imagined – often delicate and fragile -, they become the protagonists of a choral narration, which intertwines the different stories of the portrayed subjects, like a composition to be collected and ideally consigned to those who pass through the gallery space.

Festivals

37th Hamburger Short Film Festival in Hamburg, Germany will be hosted online from June 1-7, 2021

Once again, the Hamburg Short Film Festival presents the short form’s state of the art. This year’s motto is “I Am Because We Are”, based on Ubuntu, South Africa’s philosophy of unity. I can only be, really be, when we all are. In three great competitions, the International Competition, the German Competition and the Triple Axel, film makers and artists compete for prizes of a combined value of over 19,000€. In the Contemporary Laboratory, curated film programmes introduce questions, conditions and commentaries on contemporary issues which are then discussed in the forum with guests. Furthermore, there’s the Contemporary Archive, performances, industry events, open airs, and plenty of additional screenings between flicker, horror, and humour.

Talks

Virtual Panel: Politics of Transformation and Artistic Creation will take place at BOZAR in Brussels, Belgium on June 17, 2021

A virtual panel debate in the framework of Culture at Work Africa. This online panel is the final session of an international series of debates that took place in Abidjan. It is part of the Culture at Work Africa initiative, which has provided support for 33 projects in 15 African countries, and aims to foster intercultural dialogue, cross-sectoral cooperation, intercommunity relations and citizenship education. Culture at Work Africa will come to a close with a multimedia digital showcase & graphic wall map, a part of which will be displayed at the Centre for Fine Arts.