Tut 1 Assignment: Responding to gallery visits
Smac Gallery
Wallen Mapondera’s Chirema Chine Mazano Chinotamba Chakazendama Madziro:
Chirema Chine Mazano Chinotamba Chakazendama Madziro, a solo show by Wallen Mapondera, speaks to a way of surviving through creative solutions (which the Shona phrase roughly translates to). Mapondera draws on Zimbabwe, his home country and a place known for its poverty, as a starting point to his work. He emphasises these concepts through his material choice, found objects, which he constructs into works of are. Thus creating something of meaning out of nothing.
Mapondera’s choice of material can be seen to have strong connotations to the context of the work, such as the use of the bed base within Nhereka Nhereka. The semiotics of a bed points to notions of the home (safety and shelter) however within the context of the work’s wheel barrow like structure the bed’s meaning shifts. In reference to Zimbabwe’s economic collapse in 2000, Mapondera creates Nhereka Nhereka to represent an idea of informal settlements. Zimbabwe’s government created a “clean-up campaign” known as ‘Operation Murambatsvina’ (Operation Restore Order) which carried out the forced removal of informal spaces, thus leaving many citizens to survive off of what they could find (Smac 2020: online). Maponder’s use of the bed base also shifts the viewer’s experience of scale within the space. A bed is designed to accommodate the size of a person and within the work Nhereka Nhereka I find it brings a sense of people (besides the audience and the artist) into the space. A sense of who were the people affected, and are still currently feeling the affects, by Zimbabwe’s economic crisis.
Wallen Mapondera
Nhereka Nhereka
2019
Metal Bed Base, Wood and Cardboard
239 x 115 x 71 cm
Wallen Mapondera
Kudzoka Kumba
2019
Waxed Paper and Thread on Tent
300 x 1100 cm
To Focus back on the titling, specifically the title of the show, Chirema Chine Mazano Chinotamba Chakazendama Madziro, there seems to be a clear decision to use a non-english language. This affects a large percentage of the audience’s interpretation of the show thus drawing their attention to the inaccessibility and accessibility of language, specifically the English language which has a strong hegemonic history. The titling draws the audience into the headspace of Mapondera which allows them to reflexively acknowledge their own economical and social position within the exhibition space.
blank projects
Igshaan Adam’s stukkinne stories
and Sabelo Mlangeni’s The Royal House of Allure:
Though it is not a group show, stukkinne stories by Igshaan Adams and The Royal House of Allure by Sabelo Mlangeni are curated together to bring a balanced atmosphere to the work. The two shows speak to each other and although Adams and Mlangeni use different mediums their subject matter lie within the same conceptual terrain. The two artists’ practices are heavily influenced by their own identities, both being queer men of colour. Within this exhibiton, Adams and Mlangeni address their own experiences of queerness within community.
Mlangeni’s work focuses on intimate moments within these communities - a look into the everyday lives of identities within South Africa. In his exhibition, Mlangeni uses photography (mostly black and white) to explore safe spaces for the queer community in Lagos, a city known for its discrimination. He specifically investigates The Royal House of Allure, a safe house which encourages queer expression. The idea of home and family can be a difficult topic for queer people, specifically those that come from conservative backgrounds. One is often pushed to find a new home or chosen family which allows for the “space to construct a sense of self through artistic practices within beauty, fashion and music”. (blank projects 2020: online). Adams’ and Mlangeni’s work has overlapping conceptual meaning, however Adams’ explores his own experiences with sexuality, race and religion through through his tapestry-like structures. He challenges his intersectionality by drawing on the iconography of Islam to craft his delicate structures. His work speaks to both the organic forms found within nature and the semiotics of a domestic environment.
Although Mlangeni’s chose a more flat medium compared to Adam’s organic structures his photographs are not static. They depict the movement and unconstrained nature of intimacy. An intimacy which demonstrates trust and safety, creating a space for self growth through expression. Where Mlangeni uses people as his subject matter to investigate queer communities within domestic spaces Adams’ uses symbolism. Stukkinne stories uses abstract forms to represent this domesticity, such as the carpet or the chair. The entangled movement of Adams’ work Worstel embodies the notion of conflict. The organic forms envelop the metal structure, creating an internal conflict-possibly one of identity or tradition. Comparably, Mlangeni’s work Pulling off James Brown's Skinny Flowery Pants (Icon Matheu, Makeup artist Akanbi Ade) depicts the entanglement of figures, though this image exudes trust and love- an acceptance of identity.
Igshaan Adams
Worstel
2019-2020
Steel, wire, wood and plastic beads
100 x 85 x 70
Sabelo Mlangeni,
Pulling off James Brown's Skinny Flowery Pants (Icon Matheu, Makeup artist Akanbi Ade)
2019
Hand printed silver gelatin print
By combining these two exhibitions, Adams’ and Mlangeni’s different perspectives and experiences of intersectionality speak to each other. Their abstract and realistic depictions of these spaces balance each other out to create an immersive experience for the audience. It creates a sense of shared knowledge. A documentation of those who challenge their own internal and external conflicts.
These two exhibitions (combined with the thin, pink fabric covering the windows) create an atmosphere of the home. Together they challenge the narrative of a home and what it means to feel safe within one's community.
