“NOT A SINGLE STORY”
A collaboration between NIROX Foundation, South Africa and The Wanås Foundation, Sweden
Exhibition period:
12 May – 29 July 2018
Curators: Elisabeth Millqvist & Mattias Givell, Wanås Konst, Sweden
Co-assistant curators: Jessica Doucha & Khumo Sebambo, NIROX Foundation, South Africa.
The NIROX Foundation will host its annual Winter sculpture exhibition, in collaboration with the Swedish sculpture park, Wanås Konst/The Wanås Foundation. The exhibition is supported by The Swedish Postcode Foundation.
The title “NOT A SINGLE STORY” is inspired by “The Danger of a Single Story,” a TED Talk presented by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, positing that diversity strengthens rather than divides us.
The exhibition is a bicontinental exchange between two of the world’s leading sculpture parks and the selected artists come from various backgrounds, representing a rich diversity of perspectives and influences. “NOT A SINGLE STORY” is interested in showcasing works by forerunners alongside emerging artists.
By looking at overlapping dialogues through concurrent individual practices, contemporary concerns fuse together to form an open topography of viewpoints.
The preliminary artist list of 20+ participants consists predominantly of women artists in response to a very singular art history. The exhibition will combine existing works alongside newly developed productions.
Among others, the artists include: Yoko Ono (JAP/USA), Esther Mahlangu (ZA), Nandipha Mntambo (ZA), Mary Sibande (ZA), Nelisiwe Xaba (ZA), Claudette Schreuders (ZA), Jane Alexander (ZA), Marcia Kure (NG), Bronwyn Katz (ZA), Beth Diane Armstrong (ZA), Frances Goodman (ZA), Mwangi-Hutter (KE-GE), Marianne Lindberg De Geer (SE), Lungiswa Gqunta (ZA), Gunilla Klingberg & Peter Geschwind (SE), Caroline Mårtensson (SE), Whitney McVeigh (UK) and Sophia Van Wyk (ZA).
The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive educational programme aimed at children and youth. The programme endeavours to expand their understanding of art and life.
The NIROX Winter Programme includes educational exchanges, a performance programme, talks, tours and workshops, as well as a wider range of enterprises such as concerts and pop-up restaurants, in order to stimulate creative thought and promote good values — all towards building a better world.
In 2016, NIROX collaborated successfully with Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) through the exhibition “A PLACE IN TIME”. The results were deep-rooted, with several African artists finding their way to new opportunities through YSP. One of our objectives is to extend this exchange and continue to open doors worldwide to African artists.
The 2017 Winter Exhibition, titled “OPEN LABORATORY”, ‘handed over’ the park to 6 local universities and their appointed curators, in order to showcase younger artists. This directive was informed by an ethos of democratic curatorship, opening a space for experimental discourses to arise between the curators and participating artists.
This year, 2018 is a return to the international stage.
www.niroxarts.com
www.wanaskonst.se
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