‘UNMOURNED BODIES’

Curated by Jo Rogge

Main Gallery - 09.03.23 - 20.04.23

The exhibition 'Unmourned Bodies', curated by artist/ curator Jo Rogge, takes a multifaceted approach to showcase the work and talent of Namibian artists to a new audience in South Africa.

Historically, the venue of this exhibition has close ties to the development of art in Namibia. With the concerted efforts of some individuals, the South West African Association of Arts (SWAA), based in the capital city Windhoek, now Namibian Arts Association (NAA), was established as a branch of the South African Arts Association (SAAA) in 1947. In Namibia at this time, considered a remote "5th province of South Africa," almost all of the important local artists were of German extraction, notably men like Adolph Jentsch and Fritz Krampe. One year later, the first official exhibition in the Cape Town premises of the SAAA included 61 paintings and 500 objects from Namibia, divided into what was called the 'White' section, including painters Axel Eriksson, Adolph Jentsch, Otto Schröder, Joachim Voigts, among others, and the 'Native' section, described as being mostly 'handcrafts'.

It is in this regard that the current exhibition, while paying homage to the historical links between the two associations, seeks to redress the colonial presentation of Namibian cultural production through inclusion, and to highlight the contemporary blurring of art and crafts, by selecting artists that work with non-traditional materials. These artists were invited to visit the archive of the NAA, to select a work from the collection that personally resonated with them, and to recreate a unique artwork of their own in response, with some interesting and surprising results.

Artists:

Maria Caley
Stephané Conradie
Actofel Ilovu
Ju/'hoansi artists and Maria Thasi
Tangeni Kambudu
Maria Mbereshu
Tuli Mekondjo
Lynette Musukubili
Ndako Nghipandulwa
Jo Rogge
Rudolf Seibeb

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‘UNMOURNED BODIES’

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