Represent Recommends: Africa Remix
We couldn’t believe the number of SUV’s lining up in a long wait to enter the grounds of the JAG in Joubert Park yesterday arvie – the number of people streaming into the gallery gave us a glimpse into an ideal world where art is as popular as sport. See our pics here.
Have you spotted the numerous street posters featuring a colourful African pirate advertising the Africa Remix art exhibition? The marketing of this wonderful collection of 85 African artists from 25 African countries and the diaspora could not be more thorough – it is a MUST SEE and if you miss it, you miss out. The exhibition has been showcased to the world and now finds itself (appropriately) for the first time ever on African soil – however this is the last chance to catch it.
It was quite overwhelming to step into a courtyard seething with people all listening to the speeches at the official opening of Africa Remix and we found ourselves preferring to wander around the enormous gallery poking our noses into all the installations, nooks, crannies and spaces… It is ongoing, unending, mind-blowing, fantastic… eventually, just before we hit sensory overload we decided to stop while we were ahead and come back another time for more. There is no way you can take it all in in one go. So make sure you pencil in a number of visits to the Joburg Art Gallery over the next few months to celebrate the wealth of some of the finest artist’s Africa has to offer – it’s on till September.
See our pictures of the traffic, some of the art, the patrons and the speeches by clicking here.
Africa Remix – which will be held at the Johannesburg Art Gallery from June 24 to September 30 – features the work of more than 85 artists from 25 countries on the African continent and the Diaspora. This is the first time it has been seen in Africa.
Never before in the history of the continent has an exhibition of such magnitude focusing exclusively on Africa been shown to African audiences.
Arriving to celebrate this unique occasion is the Cameroon-born, Paris-based curator and critic Simon Njami as well as number of artists including Goddy Leye, Samuel Fosso, Barthélémy Toguo, Bili Bidjocka and Pascale Marthine Tayou, Aimé Ntakiyica, Ingrid Mwangi, Antonio Ole, Benyounès Semtati, Mohamed El Baz, Mounir Fatmi, Dilomprizulike, Joël Andrianomearisoa, Myriam Mihindou, Cheick Diallo, Amal Kenawy, Moataz Nasr, Patrice Felix Tchicaya and Loulou Cherinet.
South African artists included in the exhibition are Jane Alexander; Willie Bester; Wim Botha; Andries Botha; Tracey Derrick; Marlene Dumas; David Goldblatt; Jackson Hlungwani; William Kentridge; Moshekwa Langa; Zwelethu Mthethwa; Santu Mofokeng; Tracey Rose and Guy Tillim.
Several walkabouts of Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent will be conducted, offering the public an opportunity to gain insight into the exhibition and artworks. Guided tours of the exhibition by museum guides will be given for schools, learners and the general public.
A number of Panel Discussions will be held for the public, sponsored by Africalia and the Ford Foundation.The first of which will be held on the 26th of June, featuring the Chief Curator of Africa Remix, Simon Njami, in discussion with artists on the exhibition.
A full-colour South African version of the Africa Remix catalogue – including essays by Simon Njami and David Elliott – is to be published jointly with Jacana Media.
Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent is sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development; Goethe Instiut; Southern African-German Cultural Fund; Mondriaan Foundation; IFAS Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud; the Embassy of France in South Africa; AF Alliance Française; CULTURESFRANCE; OIF Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie; NAC National Arts Council; Africalia, Belgium; The Ford Foundation; BASA Business and Arts South Africa; Gauteng Province; Arts Alive; the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Gordon Schachat Collection.
Partners include WISER Wits Institute of Social and Economic Research; WSOA Wits School of Arts; Trinity Session; Sebenza Forwarding and Shipping Consultancy (Pty) Ltd and Adele Prins, Flowdesign. Media partners are 702 Talk Radio and The Sunday Times.
The Johannesburg Art Gallery would like to acknowledge the Africa Remix Curatorial team and Organisers; Simon Njami, Marie-Laure Bernadac, David Elliot, Roger Malbert, Jean-Hubert Martin, Els van der Plas, Mattijs Visser and Claudia Banz.
JOHANNESBURG ART GALLERY
Johannesburg Art Gallery
King George Street,
(Between Wolmarans and Noord Streets)
Joubert Park
Johannesburg
Tel: + 27 11 725 3130
Fax: + 27 11 720 6000
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
