30 Days and a City Exhibition Opening
30 Days and a City is a collaborative multi-medium urban art project, curated by Rendani “Missblacdropp” Nemakhavhani in collaboration with Studio-X Johannesburg. This exhibition consists of a series of artists who were asked to document the city as they see it. Thus, it presents emerging representations of Johannesburg that challenge dystopian representations of everyday life in Johannesburg. The exhibition invites the viewer to explore the hidden, violent, surprising, and sensual qualities of the city in an array of temporalities. It provides a physical platform for these young artists who are exploring diverse narrative techniques (film, photography, text, typography and street art) that capture the affective and sub-cultural qualities of the city, which are often overlooked by planners and urban geographers. In surfacing these perspectives, the exhibition interrogates the intellectual and creative possibilities of re-thinking the city as a site of desire and creativity. PROGRAM Friday 13 March 2015 18H00 – 21H00 Exhibition Launch Guest speaker: Maria McCloy Organized by Columbia University GSAPP and Sticky Situations Thursday 19 March 2015 18H30- 21H00 Artists walkabout and discussion, “Johannesburg as Heterotopia” Discussion facilitated by Molemo Moiloa, VANSA (Visual Arts Network of South Africa) ARTISTS Kevin Makonga (Multimedia designer) Sindiso Nyoni (multidisciplinary artist) Andile Buka (photographer) Dali Gaga (graphic designer/illustrator) Sharplee-Mthimkulu (graphic designer/illustrator) Lerato Mbangeni (Journalist) Nozuko Mapoma (musician) Hazel Mpande (photographer) Jeffrey Rikhotso (Photographer) Rendani Missblacdropp Nemakhavhani (illustrator/graphic designer and curator) EXHIBITION ORGANISERS Mpho Matsipa, Studio-X Johannesburg Rendani Nemakhavhani, Joburgmyhomeburg Jennifer van den Bussche, Sticky Situations VENUE Fox Street Studios, second floor 280 Fox Street (Corner Fox/Kruger) The Maboneng Precinct Johannesburg, South Africa ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS STUDIO-X Studio-X is a global network of advanced research laboratories for exploring the future of cities launched in 2008 by the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. With Studio-X locations in the historic hearts of Amman, Istanbul, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro and labs in Beijing, Johannesburg, São Paulo, and Tokyo, it is the first truly global network for real-time exchange of projects, people, and ideas between regional leadership cities in which the best minds from Columbia University can think together with the best minds in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East. An intense collaborative workshop by day and energizing event space by night, GSAPP’s global network is rebooting the global conversation about the future of the built environment. arch.columbia.edu/studiox JENNIFER VAN DEN BUSSCHE, STICKY SITUATIONS Sticky Situations is a collaborative organization that facilitates, coordinates, manages, organizes and implements projects and events. Directed by Jennifer van den Bussche, Sticky Situations brings together talented individuals and teams for each project, with a special focus on community development. stickysituations.org MPHO MATSIPA Mpho Matsipa is a lecturer in the Wits School of Architecture and Planning. She holds a PhD in Architecture and African Urbanism from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Cape Town. Mpho has worked as an architect and has been shortlisted in two prestigious national design competitions. She has curated several exhibitions, including co-curating the South Africa Pavilion at the 11th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale (2008). RENDANI ”MISSBLACDROPP” NEMAKHAVHANI Rendani “Missblacdropp” Nemakhavhani (b 1991) was born and raised in Johannesburg Gauteng. She is a Joburg city enthusiast who studied graphic design at the University of Johannesburg. Rendani is the founder of an initiative and blog called Joburgmyhomeburg, which aims to produce projects that explore Johannesburg (and eventually other cities) from the perspective of young creatives. Rendani has also been selected to be an Emerging Creative at Design Indaba in 2015. joburgmyhomeburg.blogspot.com