!Kauru Contemporary African Art Africa Month Exhibition
Coming soon to the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) is the contemporary visual art exhibition “AND COUNTING”, presented by the !Kauru Contemporary African Art Project and curated by Tšhegofatso Mabaso (South Africa) and Julia Taonga Kaseka (Zambia).
As South Africa commemorates 25 years of democracy “AND COUNTING” is intended to reflect on the internal construction of the nation and to take stock of this important moment in time.
The exhibition features the works of 13 artists from Zambia and South Africa. They are: Aaron Mulenga (Zambia), Daut Makala (Zambia), David Koloane (SA), Ernest Cole (SA), Gladys Kalichini (Zambia), Henry Tayali (Zambia), Nicholas Hlobo (SA), Nyaniso Dzedze (SA), Ranjith Kally (SA), Sam Nhlengethwa (SA), Stary Mwaba (Zambia), Turiya Magadlela (SA), Wesley Hlongwane (SA).
According to a press release by !Kauru: “AND COUNTING” initiates a conversation between South Africa and Zambia and engages with contemporary conditions while taking into consideration how advancement and progress are often measured through accumulation and the passing of time.
Curators Tšhegofatso Mabaso and Julia Taonga Kaseka said:
“and counting seeks to engage archives as a means through which to confront the issue of collective history/ies while also looking at works that exist outside institutional archives and collections. The title of the exhibition also seeks to question the very nature of archives as ongoing sites of accumulation and history, while also questioning these ideas around collective and shared history in two very different contexts, when it comes to the notion of institutional archives. What does it mean to draw from a public collection such as that of the Johannesburg Art Gallery to place works in conversation with those from private collections in Lusaka, due to the absence of institutional collections? How is national identity fostered, considering the danger of nationalism, and its perpetuation of unity through sameness as one of the root causes of several issues that mar the daily existence of various groups of people? When do we make room to engage spirituality and the ancestral voice in the space of collective memory and archives? “
!Kauru is currently in its eighth year and continues to be a leader in unique and innovative arts content.
“AND COUNTING” opens on Thursday, 23 May 2019, 6pm and will run until Sunday, 14 July 2019. Entrance is Free.
Public Programs:
*All events are free and take place at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Cnr Klein & King George Streets, Joubert Park, Johannesburg
Press Walkabout
Thursday, 23 May 2019
17h00 – 18h00
Public Opening
Thursday, 23 May 2019
18h00 – 20h00
Africa Day Workshop
Saturday, 25 May 2019
11h00 – 13h00
Facilitated by Julia Taonga Kaseka on collective memory as a sharing of knowledge from selected time periods.
Public Curator Walkabout
Sunday, 26 May 2019
13h00 – 15h00
Creative Conversations: Youth and the Future of Art Workshop
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
10h00 – 14h00