Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Review of a show at Gugs
This sent to me by Lizza Littlewort… thanks:
Trawling around the shows on the Cape ‘07 itinerary, you never know when you’re going to have one of those moments that remind you why you love art and what the point of it all is. A moment like that happened for me in Gugulethu on Saturday, at the Kwa Mmlamli shebeen. Perhaps it was the golden autumn light that made a glow around the place, but there seemed to be a tangible air of cerebral calm and openness, as if anything was possible and everything okay. There was great music being played on a huge sound system, yummy roast chicken dinners, lots of space to sit and relax, and enough cold beers to last us for a week. A group show had been installed by some local artists who call themselves the Gugulective. There were videos, photos and slides, among other things, but what really got to me was an installation by Unathi Sigewu, which was in the dusty yard at the back of the shop. At first I thought some lout had been turfing empty beer bottles out of the back door, so I went to look. There really were a lot of bottles, so many as to start one thinking of alcohol consumption in epidemic proportions. In the middle of this devastation was a tiny, perfect replica of a Johnny Walker billboard, rewording the ad to say “KEEP ON DRINKING / JOHNNY WALKER IS A BLACK MAN”. I thought of the response travel-writer PJ O’Rourke gave when asked to describe South Africans using only two words. He said, “They drink.” Further on was another more exaggerated version of the sign (see pic), evoking a rapidly advancing state of drunkenness. A simple enough strategy and probably not nearly ’serious’ enough for most people, but this work had me rooted to the spot. For a moment a mental picture of the sheer scale of the alcohol trade overcame me, doubtless exacerbated by the fact that I’d just finished storyboarding a string of extremely cynical beer commercials. I thought of the unvarnished, gutting realities we live with in this country, and the histories which have brought us here. Perhaps it was its utter lack of piousness that made this one of the strongest works I’ve seen in a while.
posted by Robert Sloon at 11:50 AM
3 Comments:
The illegal shebeen played a significant role as a space for dialogue between creative intellectuals and political activists in Apartheid South Africa. It not only became a wellspring of black entrepreneurial and economic activity but also developed into a cultural space. To a certain extent it became a form of rebellion against Afrikaaner Nationalistic ideas. The shebeen culture of the ‘Drum Era’ still continues to be a part of Post Apartheid South Africa’s landscape and has been a major influence of contemporary culture whether it be through entertainment and fashion just to name a few.
However, today the shebeen has grown to gain notoriority as a breeding ground for alcoholism, HIV and AIDS, drug abuse and violent crimes.
Akhucanywa a group exhibition by Gugulective showcased in a shebeen was aimed at engaging people, social issues, interrogating space, addressing issues of accessibility and breaking comfort zones literally and psychologically. It is not common for contemporary art exhibitions to be held in townships or informal settlements.
Gugulective which derives from the word Gugulethu denoting ‘our pride’ in isiXhosa; Gugulective is an artist collective made up of creative producers from the townships of Langa, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha. Gugulethu which is one of the oldest townships in Cape Town is a direct result of the group areas act which was enforced by the National Party government. Exhibiting in a shebeen in the township challenges people to move out of their comfort zones and journey to what is so-called the “periphery”.
The exhibition went beyond the conventional means of showing artworks, engaged with the space on a personal level and challenged the perceptions of what is seen as art in the township. The venue of the exhibition meant that ‘black’ people who have never attended an art exhibition before in their entire lives had access to contemporary artworks. One of the groups’ major aims is to bring art to marginalised people affording people an opportunity with contemporary artwork instead of fighting for more black silhouettes in formerly ‘white institutions’ such as the National Art Gallery amongst others. It is important to note that Gugulective is not a reactionary intervention but borne out of a need for creative platforms and interventions “previously” disadvantaged communities. Gugulective have succeeded in creating a space for dialogue, an opportunity for individuals from the community to engage with contemporary artworks with assertion or denial. Because the artworks dealt with social issues and the impact that the shebeen culture has on the community allowed for self analyses with symbols and objects that have psychologically and physically played a part in our social construction both in the past and the present.
Text By: Kemang wa Lehulere
Kemang wa Lehulere. Akuchanywa. Paint on concrete, 2007
Unathi Sigenu. Johnny Walker is a black man. Mixed media installation. 2007
Hope on the mic.
Text by Bell Hooks.
Kemang, Nosipho Singiswa and Khanyi Mbongwa
Participating Artists:
Unathi Sigenu
Khanyi Mbongwa
Themba Tsotsi
Zipho Dayile
Kemang wa Lehulere
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite 
