JCAF
28.06 - 04.11.2023
As the fourth instalment hosted by the young institution JCAF, Otherscapes unites the artistic endeavors of four contemporary South Africa-based artists working in installation: Siemon Allen, Wim Botha, Sethembile Msezane and Nicholas Hlobo. The exhibition’s title draws inspiration from Arjun Appadurai’s concept of “scapes,” defined as intricate networks of flows and movements. Within this exhibition, the artists delve into various manifestations of “scapes” that hold relevance within the contemporary. Through their distinctive art installations, these four artists offer subjective perspectives on South Africa, capturing narratives that shed light on the intricate issues entwining the nation.
As I walk into the exhibition, I’m met by a cloud of hair with domestic clothes irons attached. The old blackened irons remind me of my grandmother’s house out in the dry rural platteland; in the house, they transcended their duty of pressing clothes and functioned, instead, as door stops because of their weight. Msezane’s ethereal installation, Avuleka AmaZulu (2017), is a sustained meditation on local indigenous narratives. In many Bantu cultures, the significance of hair braiding as a symbol of spiritual practice emerges prominently. Braiding and tying becomes a metaphor for a binding force, a contract, a powerful manifestation of oneness. While solitary strands of hair may be deemed frail, the collective strength exhibited in braids serves as a testament to the resilience found in unity. After all, umuntu ngmutu ngabantu.
Continuing on, I walk into a circular chamber covered in countless stamps. Again, time collapses, and I’m met with a deep sense of nostalgia. Allen’s work considers the effects of colonial history and official representations of South Africa. His installation Stamps V (2010) is a large-scale collage of stamps that have been defaced or altered. The stamps represent the ways in which South Africa’s history and its people have been shaped, altered and perhaps warped by colonialism and apartheid. I fall into a stream of consciousness wherein I notice that there’s a strong sense of ‘unity in diversity’ to the stamps. They almost function as bodies, spectators who transform the circle space into a colosseum. The viewer finds himself centrestage, a gladiator of sorts. It feels like history is watching him, waiting to see what kind of mark he will leave on the present. This installation is at once an archive and an artwork. The stamps in his work represent the past, but they also represent the potential for new beginnings. This creates a space for hope and optimism, a scaffolding of new imaginaries in the contemporary South African-scape.
As soon as I step out of the colosseum, I’m met by a riot of ribbons. On one end, a yawning abyss seemed to call my name. Hlobo’s installation Ndize (2010) is a maze of ribbons that conceals two mannequin-like figures at its centre. From my perspective, Hlobo’s installation resonates with the philosophical ideas of French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, who challenged conventional notions of reality and advocated for the embrace of multiplicity and interconnectedness. Hlobo’s labyrinth mirrors the confusion and uncertainty of the present, reflecting the complexities of navigating through a world where perceptions of truth and reality can be elusive.
At the heart of the labyrinth, the presence of the mannequin-like figures represents a glimmer of hope—an invitation to envision a better future amidst the complexities of the present. This embodiment of possibility amidst confusion underscores Hlobo’s exploration of the dialectic between the real and unreal. By juxtaposing the maze’s intricate structure with the potential for transformation at its centre, Hlobo prompts viewers to question their perceptions, challenge assumptions and consider alternative narratives.
I stepped out of the art installation, dazed and disoriented, to find myself surrounded by a host of ghosts frozen in limbo. This is the final installation in the flow of the exhibition, created by Botha. Aptly titled Solipsis 1 (2011), the installation comprises a humble tripartite of materials: polystyrene, wood and fluorescent tubes. A drawing in space? Lateral lines frozen in dance? Wim Botha describes it as “a scratch in a rock.”
Solipsis I is a work that reflects the artist’s ongoing interest in Western classical and Baroque forms, dynamic juxtapositions and dramatic moments. While Botha’s work has evolved over time, his core interests remain the same. He is still concerned with various different truths, and he has always strived to create work that is not monolithic in meaning. In this work, the artist has allowed the materials and process to dictate the form of the work. This has allowed him to create work that is more immediate and visceral, less reliant on conceptual frameworks. The artist is simply allowing the work to speak for itself, without the need for any justification. The title, Solipsis, refers to the philosophical concept of solipsism, which is the belief that only one’s own mind is sure to exist. The artist has said that he chose this title because he wanted to explore the idea of how our own experiences shape our understanding of the world. He wanted to create a work that would challenge the viewer to question their own assumptions about reality.
As I walk out of the exhibition, I feel exhausted, but satisfied. To quote Fred Moten, “Art is the space where the world is put into question.” Otherscapes does just that. It is an intellectual and emotional marathon that has provoked me to think about South Africa in new ways. In an art market dominated by paintings and traditional media, this exhibition is a palette cleanser and feels like a monumental contribution to the ongoing conversation about South Africa’s identity. It is well-curated and thought-provoking, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this frustrating, beautifully complex and fascinating country. The work of the four artists offers different perspectives on the country’s past, present, and future, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen it.