Zeitz MOCAA
26.10 - 13.10.2024
In stark contrast to the bright white corridor which leads to the entrance of Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers, one must navigate several dimly lit exhibition spaces to fully experience the show’s ethereal nature. It is an unusual exhibition given that it is made up exclusively of videographic works. Currently showing at Zeitz MOCAA until the 13th of October, Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers stands out as an intimate exploration of spirituality, mythology, and rituals. The show consists of seven women and non-binary artists including Gladys Kalichini, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Helena Uambembe, Pamina Sebastiao, Sekai Machache, Nyancho NwaNri, and Latedjou.
Nyancho NwaNri, Here, 2021
Just outside of the first room, a poem can be found by Jamaican author Kei Miller entitled Speaking in Tongues (2007). The poem follows the experiences of Miller’s grandmother, who attended church each Sunday and was devout in her traditional and spiritual beliefs. In his book There is Anger That Moves (2007) Miller recounts how he once took a friend to one of his grandmother’s church gatherings. The friend ridicules the participants as they begin speaking in tongues, claiming that they are speaking nothing more than gibberish. This prompts Miller to ask the question, “what is language but a sound that we christen?”. This explores how we imbue certain words or objects with meaning, an important theme to remember while exploring the depths of Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers.
The exhibition explores the intangible experiences of the metaphysical world, which can be described as psychological, spiritual, or preternatural. The title of the show echoes this, as seekers are considered those who engage with their histories that were splintered by colonial rule, while seers and soothsayers mediate between the spiritual and physical realms, as well as the past, present, and future. The sounds of each installation faintly bleed into the room of the next, which creates a diaphanous link between all the works. It is also no coincidence that seven artists are participating in the show, as the number seven is spiritually significant in several belief systems across the globe. The artists, through their works, adeptly take on roles akin to seers, seekers, and soothsayers, prompting viewers to contemplate their own engagement with the unseen, that which coexists but cannot be touched.
Gladys Kalichini,…these practices are done in sharing her stories, 2020
The first work on display is a video and installation by Zambian-born Kalichini entitled …these practices are done in sharing her stories (2020). The work features a video projected onto a large white screen showing several women washing their hands and feet. Below the screen lie several metal bowls surrounded by lace and all painted white. In the background, a jovial Catholic choral hymn is sung in Chichewa, filling the exhibition space with an atmosphere of solidarity. Kalichini explores the meaning of and ways in which we show care to one another and examines the importance of sharing stories and knowledge through these care rituals. Care can be an act as simple as washing the hands or feet of another. Kalichini invites others to share a memory of a woman whom they admire or who has impacted their life while washing their hands or feet. Through this, the act of cleansing also becomes an intimate ritual in the memorializing of people and stories, as the two are done in tandem to foster a sense of closeness and mutual care while recounting these tales.
Nyancho NwaNri, Here, 2021
Another striking work is Here (2021), an installation by NwaNri. The work features a video projected onto multiple layers of sheer cloth, which shows the artist moving through a forest, walking around a derelict house in white robes, and cocooned within a cloth. These scenes are sometimes played in reverse, creating an uncanny effect. The cloth “screens” are arranged in a circular manner, inviting viewers to stand in the centre and immerse themselves in NwaNri’s exploration of “the alchemy of the self”. NwaNri examines the juxtapositions and layers that lie within each of us, such as how life and death can inhabit one body and the multiple versions of ourselves that exist within. The layered display of the cloths echoes this. As well as this, the projected images become more ghostly with each layer they shine through, emphasizing the links between the past and present and the fading of memories with time. Accompanying this installation is the clanging sound of ironsmiths at work and the chanting of people performing a ritual in honour of the Yoruba god Ogun, who is the god of hunters, warriors, and blacksmiths. The uncanny images of the artist, who gazes comfortingly at the viewer at several points during the video, coupled with these eerie sounds create a sense of unease. The viewer is surrounded by the disorienting darkness of the room, forcing them to take refuge in the centre of the work.
Other works in the show include a short film created by Siwani entitled AmaHubo, which focuses on issues of land and labour, displacement, and the interplay of indigenous and adopted beliefs. The work includes a sculptural element, as the walls of the exhibition space have raised areas in the outline of iconic Cape landmarks such as Table Mountain. The artist can be heard narrating a psalm in the background. Another work by Uambembe, Can You Hear Me, depicts the silhouette of a woman in anguish, as she pleads with a black-and-white image of three Angolan political figures. This is the only work that does not include an audio aspect and is in reference to the infamous 32 Battalion (which was active during the apartheid era) and the lack of dialogue around the effects this military unit had on people who were part of it and their families. Uambembe’s work is the only one that has an interactive element, as the viewer’s silhouette appears alongside that of the artist as they walk past the projector to get to the next section of the exhibition.
Latedjou, Domingo é Dia de Descanso, 2021
The works by Latedjou and Machache address the yearning for home and connecting with one’s heritage. Machache’s work Hypnagogia Glossolalia deals with this through the symbolism of the Bateleur eagle, which is Zimbabwe’s national emblem that holds spiritual significance as it was thought to be able to communicate directly with God on behalf of humans. Over an image of a person dressed as the Bateleur eagle, ten poems are recited in Shona, English, and Gaelic, highlighting the artist’s multicultural background and exploring ideas around feeling a sense of belonging. Latedjou’s work Domingo e Dia de Descanso does not include as much dialogue and rather relies on visual elements to unpack ideas of sentimentality and homesickness. Much like Machache, Latedjou comes from a range of cultural backgrounds and uses the recurring image of the ocean to explore what it means to be from more than one place. The final work included in the show is a short film by Sebastiao, Quale entendimento. The work deals with how the language we use plays a role in the construction of our identities. It features paper collages of various body parts which have been dissected and reconnected and is accompanied by the audio of street interviews of Angolan citizens. They discuss words that have links to racial classifications that are used in everyday life and how the use of these words affects them. Unlike the other works, one must put on headphones to listen to the audio, which requires the viewer to sit quite close to the screen and creates an intimate experience.
The works are a fascinating exploration of spirituality by incorporating audio, visual, and textual work to produce a multifaceted narrative. While there is a common thread between all the works, held together by Miller’s poem, they are diverse in style. Kalchini’s work is buoyant and welcoming, while NwaNri’s work makes the viewer feel uneasy. They interact through the bleeding of sound from one room to another, with echoes of bells tolling and hymns sung, creating a subtle concord that shifts and follows the viewer as they move through the exhibition. Spirituality is explored in all its facets, from its historical and traditional significance to how contemporary people interact and reckon with it. As well as this, Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers centres Black, Queer, and female perspectives in a way that allows the viewer to closely engage with these historically muted narratives.
While it was a striking exhibition, the large amounts of wall text at times felt daunting, and several of the works did not stand on their own conceptually. The sheer scale of the exhibition, taking up several rooms, creates a liminal space in which the viewer is allowed time to introspect on their personal metaphysical realms and the spiritual ideologies embedded within their own cultures. Overall, while many of the works were interesting and visually arresting, the somewhat abstract link of “spirituality” left the exhibition feeling a bit disjointed. The works varied greatly in terms of level of symbolism and themes, which made for an engaging experience, but required a lot of patience and focus to fully understand each work.
Buhlebezwe Siwani, Amahubo, 2018
