Youssef Nabil @ Art Extra
Catch Youssef Nabil – Sleep in my arms photography exhibition at Art Extra in Craighall. Opening Wednesday 9th April at 6pm.: Art Extra is pleased to present Sleep in my arms, a solo show of photographer Youssef Nabil. Presented for the first time in South Africa at Michael Stevenson in Cape Town in 2007, Sleep in my arms will be the first time Nabil’s work will be exhibited in Johannesburg. Born in Cairo in 1972, Youssef Nabil has always been fascinated with the glamour and style of early Egyptian cinema, the black and white photo-novels published at the time and the hand-coloured family portraits that still adorn most living rooms in Cairo. He started taking pictures after being rejected by the Institute of Cinema in Cairo and used his friends to stage scenes which he would ideally liked to have filmed. These early images set the stage for all his subsequent work which was further influenced by his close friendship with the legendary Egyptian-Armenian photographer Van Leo. Van Leo is celebrated for his glamorous studio portraits of famous Egyptian actresses of the 1950s and 60s and Nabil spent many hours watching him at work in his studio. While working as a photographers’ assistant in prominent studios New York and Paris in the 1990s, he started producing his staged, constructed and meticulously hand-coloured black and white portraits of celebrities, close friends and fellow artists such as John Waters, Shirin Neshat, Tracey Emin and Ghada Amer. Nabil tells ‘stories’ through his carefully constructed images. In his words: “I always like to tell stories through my work; the more simple the photo is, the more complicated the story becomes. What’s the point in making a photo if it doesn’t have something to say?” Nabil’s images have a cinematic quality and explore the interior and exterior worlds of drama, beauty, glamour, sexuality and identity. In his latest body of work titled Sleep in My Arms, Nabil gives us access to stories about his relationships with various male friends through his delicately coloured, quiet and intimate portraits. A voyeur by nature, Nabil places these young men in situations of his own imagining and sets up dreamlike moments that are imbued with a brooding sexuality. Youssef Nabil will be giving a walkabout on Wednesday 9th of April at 2pm 373 jan smuts avenue craighall johannesburg gallery hours: tuesday to friday 1030 – 1730 saturday 930 – 1500 t011.326.0034 f011.326.0041 email website Youssef Nabil, Ahmed in djellebah, New York 2004, Hand coloured silver gelatin print, 27 x 40 cm, Edition of 10 Courtesy of Michael...
South Africans, Let’s find our way. Today.
We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make the world a better place. A good starting point is always with ourselves and the question today must be, South Africans, “have we lost our way”? It seems like these days we’re more self-serving, selfish and self-centered than ever, chasing the buck, looking after number one and forgetting all about those around us, never mind those in need. These thoughts may seem negative, particularly from a website that promotes positivity, but we have to be realistic about where we are at, in order to move forward we must stop tip-toeing around issues, face facts , expose and communicate our truth. (For various reasons it is necessary to spell out that our call to action is based largely on the world which we know, which is the pulsing, moving, exciting, edgy, hectic, crazy big African city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Most Represent readers will know that already. Ed) Since when did we stop being AWARE and responsible? When did we stop caring about our human and political rights, about our neighbours, about our future? When did we stop being optimistic, when did we decide that it wasn’t our issue, that we’re prepared to give away our power, give away our rights, give up on our potential, our promise and a bright future for everyone? Why are we so de-politicized, leaving it all up to someone else, choosing to rather be placid, uninvolved and disinterested, then complaining, blaming and pointing fingers at every chance? Why do we accept to live a mediocre life and allow the MAJORITY of our people to continue to live in a horrific trap of poverty, violence and hopelessness? How did we let that happen? We have EVERYTHING we need to make our country the place we want it to be, talent, passion, people, inventiveness, resources, natural beauty, diversity, potential and a great sense of humour – everything we need is here. But we have lost our way. When I look around me at so-called ‘intelligent, educated citizens’ and listen to some of the things that come out of their mouths, I feel like shouting “WAKE UP”! But freedom of expression is a basic tenet of democracy and so I either swallow my frustration or on the odd occasion, when I have the energy, waste some of it challenging them. For I do believe that most people are good, many have had no guidance or lost their way, some have no backbone, no integrity and little vision, but most people are good. The saddest thing for me is to see just how successful the brain-washing tactics...
Represent Recommends: Dorfmeister
Yip, you got it, his name makes up the second part of Kruger&Dorfmeister – the Austrian DJing duo much adored by 90’s clubbers seeking morning-after chilltime. Enjoy a sublime night with Richard Dorfmeister at Crazy 88 in Norwood on the 8 April. Go to our favourite listening site Songza and type in Dorfmeister to slow down your day. Buy your tickets fast. Richard Dorfmeister (along with his partner Peter Kruder) is one of the most highly respected producers and DJ’s currently working on the international dance scene. Based in Austria – Kruder & Dorfmeister pioneered the slow-tempo, lounge style ELECTRONICA and they have become synonymous with this sound. They have remixed tracks for such celebrated artists as Madonna, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Bjork and they also created the now legendary K&D Sessions compilations. As DJ’s they travel the world setting dance floors on fire and heads spinning with an intelligent blend of cutting edge beats (often direct from their own studios). They create music for the feet as well as for the mind. Richard Dorfmeister will bring his 2008 brand of mixed beats to Johannesburg for the first time since his underground appearance here 8 years ago. Those in the know are still talking about that gig and the excitement about his forthcoming set is already rising. Tickets are available in advance only, so call The Crazy 88 on 011 7278 8417 to book and pay for your tickets NOW! For further info please see www.kruderdorfmeister.com The Details Richard Dorfmeister – DJ Kicks! Saturday 05 April 2008. The Crazy 88, William Road, Norwood Telephone: 011 728...
Catch Karl Gietl @ Afronova
Catch Karl Gietl’s solo exhibition at Afronova gallery in Newton opening on the 28 March. One for the road is Karl Gietl’s latest and finest offering in Johannesburg before he sets off to live and work in the South of France. The exhibition of paintings also features his recent short films and will coincide with the launch of his new monograph simply entitled One for the road. The book is published by Afronova with the kind support of Hollard. Exhibition runs until Saturday 19 April Gallery Hours Tuesday to Friday : 13 :00 to 19 :00 Saturday 13 :00 to 17 :00 Contact afronova@tiscali.co.za +27 (0) 83 726 59 06 The gallery is just across the Market Theatre entrance Safe parking corner Miriam Makeba and Gwigwi Mrwebi St – Newtown Po box 3205 – Parklands 2121 – Johannesburg – South...
Catch the 2nd half of the Dance Umbrella
If you haven’t been yet, hurry, just over a week left to go. Read all about the FNB Dance Umbrella here – see the program below: On Thursday and Friday, March 6 & 7 from 20:30 at the UJ Centre for the Arts, Jazzart Dance Theatre will present their renowned work Cargo. Cargo is the 7th in a series of inspired collaborations between two of South Africa’s most exciting movement theatre companies, Jazzart Dance Theatre and Magnet Theatre. It uses performance to re-imagine the archive of slavery at the Cape and to bring it to the attention of a wider audience, while linking the past to our present reality. For so many centuries cargo has come to this place, our city, the Cape of Good Hope. Porcelain and silks and spices and slaves. Slaves from Mozambique from Madagascar, from India and the Indonesian archipelago. For 186 years between 1652 and 1838 slaves were a major part – sometimes the major part – of the unique and diverse society in formation at the Cape. Today, slavery haunts the city, an incrustation of the past at the heart of the present. It is “a past that will not pass” and yet it is so little remembered. Nelisiwe Xaba (RSA) and Kettly Noel (Mali), get together with a work called Correspondances in the Dance Factory on March 7 & 8 at 19:00. Two people – two women – meet after many correspondences. Meeting place: under a lamppost in a modern city, in front of a disco, at the beach, in a room or a closet. Here they are. Their bodies are here. These girls are here. They have come to tell their stories, to exchange opinions, to laugh, to fight. In 2008 Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) will be celebrating of 30 years of existence, innovation and collaboration, all brought together in an institution devoted to learning, sharing and pursuing the passion of dance. To mark this incredible milestone, MIDM will start the festivities at the 20th Anniversary of the FNB Dance Umbrella International Dance Festival with the remounting of the award-winning work Hanano – Blessing of the Earth which will feature most of the original cast of the work including the choreographer Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe. The second work in the programme is Ek se Hola! a work that looks at perceived ideas of our youth in South Africa. Gregory Maqoma has choreographed “Ek se … Hola!” on Moving into Dance Mophatong Company, which blends Kwaito with contemporary dance. This work is energetic and inventive and builds bridges between popular urban dance forms and theatrical contemporary dance. These programmes are on March...
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