#here chiurai

[joostjongepier]

Wat?   Femme en pleurs (1937) door Pablo Picasso, War (2003) door Paula Rego, Musée du Louvre (1989) door Thomas Struth, Lucy (2004) door Marlene Dumas en We Live in Silence XIIII door Here Chiurai

Waar?   Tentoonstelling Capture the Moment in Tate Modern, Londen

Wanneer?   7 augustus 2023

De tentoonstelling Capture de moment verkent de relatie tussen verfkwast en fotocamera. De tentoonstelling doet wat willekeurig aan. Het laat zien wat er met de schilderkunst gebeurt na de uitvinding van de fotografie. De fotografie hoeft nu niet langer de werkelijkheid weer te geven, dat kan de fotografie doen. De schilderkunst gaat op zoek naar nieuwe wegen. Ook zijn er fotografen die kunst fotograferen en fotografen die schilderkunst omzetten in foto’s. Weer andere schilders werken als fotografen: ze construeren een werkelijkheid zoals ook schilders dat doen. Kortom: de expositie wil misschien wel teveel in één keer.

Toch zijn er een aantal interessante werken te zien. Zo is er Huilende vrouw van Pablo Picasso, gebaseerd op een afbeelding van een vrouw met een dood kind in haar armen. Picasso gebruikt dit thema ook  in de muurschildering Guernica. Pablo schilderde beide werken tijdens de Spaanse burgeroorlog als reactie op het bombardement op het Baskische stadje Guernica. Het bombardement werd uitgevoerd door de Duitse luchtmacht ter ondersteuning van de Spaanse nationalisten. Er kwamen honderden burgers om. Model voor Huilende vrouw is kunstenaar en fotograaf Dora Maar. Toen ze later naar Picasso’s portretten van haar vroeg, zei ze: “Alle portretten van mij zijn leugens. Het zijn allemaal Picasso’s; er is niet één Dora Maar bij.”

Ook bij Paula Rego is het thema ‘Oorlog’ aan de orde. Haar schilderij War is gebaseerd op een krantenfoto van Irakese burgers na een bomaanslag. Rego was geschokt door een foto van een moeder die haar krijsende baby in de arm hield, met een klein meisje naast hen. Rego geeft de scène een vervreemdend effect door de slachtoffers maskerachtige konijnenkoppen te geven.

Thomas Struth fotografeert kunst in openbare ruimtes, zoals musea en kerken. Enkele dagen geleden zag ik in het Louvre het schilderij Het vlot van Medusa van Géricault. Struth fotografeerde dit werk, terwijl er een groep Aziaten naar staat te kijken. Het geeft een vreemd effect: het lijkt of de toeschouwers naar de gruwelen op het vlot staan te kijken en daar ook nog genoegen aan beleven. Ramptoerisme op zijn best!

Ook Marlene Dumas gaat uit van een bestaand kunstwerk voor haar schilderij Lucy. Het werk toont het hoofd van een vrouw, waarbij het ambigu is of het hier slaap, dood of seksuele opwinding betreft. Lucy refereert aan een detail van De begrafenis van St. Lucia door Caravaggio. Volgens de legende was de heilige op brute wijze gemarteld, verblind en uiteindelijk in de keel gestoken. Het werk suggereert de vlakheid van een foto in het lijkenhuis.

Een ander werk dat ik onlangs zag in het Louvre is gerecreëerd in een foto. Het betreft De onthoofding van Holofernes door Judith door Artemisia Gentileschi. Naast het Bijbelverhaal verwijst de foto ook naar een voorval uit de Britse koloniale geschiedenis. Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana werd veroordeeld omdat ze opdracht had gegeven tot onthoofding van een Europese commissaris.

[hibakhassan]

Data (culture)

Here I did a painting and crayon work inspired by an artist called Kudzanai Chiurai. This piece is something out of my comfort zone and it was time consuming but in the end it was worth it.

[tonguecheeks-blog]

The ultimate ( and very humble) guide for 10 amazing days in Cape Town is ready for you .

Here you will find some guidance about where to stay, what to do, what to avoid, the must-sees and dos , based on a couple vacation in December.

1/ Where to stay :

Clifton beach : If you are looking for peace and tranquility , amazing ocean views and be close to everything this exciting city has to offer – this is the neighbourhood for you.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Best sunsets are also seen from Clifton beach:

  I would personally avoid Camps Bay which can get very busy and noisy, with lots of traffic and people.

Waterkant : if like us you have a late overnight flight, I would advise you to spend the last night in Waterkant which is the perfect base  to have a lovely” city break” day before flying ( beautiful walks, leaving the car behind, a museum stroll for instance) and offer amazing views of the Table Mountain .

2/ What to do :

-Being active 

As you know, the Atlantic sea is cold and unless you are on the Indian ocean side of South Africa, swimming can be challenging as the water is around 4/5 degrees in the summer time. So a dip in the ocean can be super fun and a challenge for many- you can still paddle , use a surf board to play with the waves, or just have sunbathes .

Cape Town offers many amazing hiking trails , as well as climbing .

The ones I did : Lions Head , Table Mountain which I advise you hike to the top and then take the cable car down.

But the very best hike I recommend is spending the whole day or two days with an overnight stay at the Table Mountain national park by Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope but also visit Kirstenbosh National Botanical Gardens,the tree canopy is an absolute must see

  -Wine tastings : Visit the vineyards of Stellenbosch , Franschhoek and Swartland 

In Stellenbosh , I absolutely recommend to visit the Babylonstoren estate and have lunch at Babel (reservations required)and a visit of their back ( secret) medicinal garden, a real sacred place.

My second suggestion in Stellenbosh , is the Mullineux and Leeu wine estate: a peaceful vineyard and hotel ( with a great restaurant) completely away from the beaten track . Honest wines, art , sculpture and great hospitality.  Absolute HEAVEN !

Haven’t had the chance to visit Swartland , unfortunately as it is the place where the so-called Swartland Revolution wine producers are. Next time for sure !

– Art : visit the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa – recently opened in september 2017

Architecture delight , in my opinion competing with the biggest museums out there : a marvel of shape , form , views and upcoming new young Contemporary African artists .

 Kudzanai Chiurai was a great discovery . I loved the fact that curators’offices were incorporated in the museum itself , first time I see that, you can see the people behind the exhibitions during their day-to-day at the museum – awesome !

– Restaurant scene in Cape town:

*Breakfast spots : Cape town is, as any modern cities, following the big healthy , organic trend

A big favorite is the Kauai (“Naturally”) , although it is a chain, it offers fantastic healthy breakfast and smoothies options ( both in Camps Bay and on Kloof Street )

In Sea Point, I loved going to Scheckter’s RAW Gourmet, with great and sometimes weird but tasty vegan options.

Matcha Latte

Weird (but yummy hotdog)

Another option , just opposite Raw, is Kleinsky’s Delicatessen if you are fan of Jewish food and like pastramis and bagels.

*Dining :One thing to know is that restaurants and bars close early in Cape Town- kitchens close around 9pm ( sometimes even earlier) and bars/clubs at 2am . Also, most of best restaurants in town, especially during the high season, require advance booking.

For me the best diner experience I had in Cape Town was in Constantia ( a must see neighbourhood with its scenic views and vineyards ) at Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia . This lovely restaurant does not require advance booking which came handy. The views are magnificent, the service knowledgeable, and food very good. Only Beau wines available here , which is a shame for natural wine seekers like myself .

Views from the bar

The Amphitheatre

The Vineyards

Constantia

The bar overlooking Constantia

The restaurant

The Menu

The Menu

Another very good experience was at Ash on Church Street, which shares the same floor space than the wine bar Publik, which offers the best wine options in town . The food at Ash was very satisfactory , and again if you come a little early, the staff which is very nice, will try to help you with a table if you don’t have a booking.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

For vegetarians or fish lovers, I recommence Sea Breeze Fish and Shell on Bree Street, love the outdoor area and the secret Rum bar at the back !

Kingklip local south african fish to try

the rum bar !

For Japanese food, try Shio in Waterkant which offers excellent japanase food with a twist.

*Inside of the Cape of Good Hope National Park, I highly recommend having lunch at the restaurant there called Two Oceans , although touristy, it serves delicious food and great service:

  *Bars : outside of the famous Silo Rooftop bar , I highly recommend The Gin Bar, secret entrance through a chocolate store called the Honest Chocolate café  , it’s a great place to go before in the late afternoon and stay in the lovely courtyard or late at night in the intimate bar as the bar remains open late although the door is closed 😉 best speak easy bar I have been for a long time, great selection of gins and a great great music !!

Another good bar is at Kloof House on Kloof Street,it has a nice courtyard garden nested in this old colonial house, and a both a restaurant and a bar. The food is basic but the atmosphere is cool .

*Another institution to visit during your stay is the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel , build in 1899 in English Colonial Style, an afternoon (ice) tea in its beautiful garden with views on the Table Mountain is worth a visit

Can’t end this post without talking about the nature and wild nature found in Cape Town – from Elephants, to Lions but also African Penguins !

  Thank you Cape Town for a fabulous holiday – until next time !

Cape Town: The Mother City The ultimate ( and very humble) guide for 10 amazing days in Cape Town is ready for you .

[xhosabits]

“The Revolution Will Not Be Instagrammed” Self-exiled in South Africa, graduating from the University of Pretoria with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts, and subsequently art(iculating) his way across the globe, Kudzanai Chiurai, is an African artist of note; narrating his comprehension of the political, economic, socially disrupted and psychologically displacing scenes of modern times through his contemporary works of art. . . . With a string of both Group and Solo exhibitions, Kudzanai is also adorned with a variety of accolades, awards and nominations. . . . Pictured here: The Revelations Series (part of, 2011) - a series of mocking portraits of African leaders. 1. Revelations I 2. Revelations III 3. Revelations V 4. Revelations VI 5. Revelations XI . . . #KudzanaiChiurai #BlackArtists #ContemporaryArtists #ArtinFact #Art #AfricanArt #Revelations #GoodmanGallery #joburgartfair (at LockDown) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7I6HDjtOg/?igshid=1u2n9m6hq2gcy

[heywhereartthou]

The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town is the largest museum to open among African countries in a century. According to the museum’s designer, Thomas Heatherwick, this is the first institution, much like the Tate in London, that showcases the contemporary art of South Africa and other African countries. 

But an institution of this nature, established and designed by a mostly White team, begs the question: can it also reach South Africans, who are living in post-apartheid aftermath?

Art created by Black artists (and mostly curated by Black curators) fill the majority of its 80 galleries, surrounded by spiraling walls (pairs of old grain silos in Cape Town’s harbor serve as its foundation). Cape Town, though, is a complicated city, a hot spot for European tourists and affluence, inaccessible to the townships and communities that encircle it. Despite this complexity, @thaniapetersen (whom we featured in Episode 4) says ZeitzMOCAA is a great start for artists of color, to help them be visible and their voices heard. “‘What is important is that we are here now, and we are changing it,’” she said, according to @globeandmail. “‘The only way we can change it is actually by being present in these spaces. If everything is kept outside, how will we ever be able to change it?’” (Photos via @zeitzmocaa on Instagram. Photo 1 features @lungiswa_gqunta's “Divider” (2016) in the front and @sthemse's “Signal Her Return” (2016) in the back. Photos 2 and 3 showcases works from Kudzanai Chiurai and @nandiphamntambo)

[braithwaitehilton]

From Justin Dingwall to Kudzanai Chiurai.

[ornella3d-blog]

Mariane Ibrahim Gallery is pleased to present We Live in Silence, a solo exhibition of new works from Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai Chiurai. Running from September 13 until October 29, the exhibition presents the final moment of a longstanding trilogy from the artist, recounting narratives from past, present, and future colonies.

Drawing from the previous series – Revelations (2011) and Genesis [Je n’isi isi] (2016) – as well as Mauritanian director Med Hondo’s seminal piece of cinema Soleil O (1969), the film-based works present an introspective journey into colonialism at the dawn of independence.

Incorporating religious and populist iconography, Chiurai’s work emancipates symbols from pre-existing propagandist values – previously used to serve and democratize colonialism and racism – to re-stage a Black experience indoctrinated by religious fundamentalism and political corruptions. This re-appropriation of codified aesthetics works to create an uneasy environment which compels the viewer to become less an observer, more a participant, within the space.

Referencing Med Hondo’s cinematic masterpiece, Chiurai’s intersecting narrative positions race and colonization against the backdrop of migration, religion, and gender. The film presents a compelling narrative and visceral imagery of “colonial futures,” with Chiurai particularly revisiting the contributions made by women in early post-colonial struggles. Within the works, Chiurai reflects on the role of Nationalist figures in the emancipation of women during liberation, and the statement by revolutionary Thomas Sankara that ”There is no true social revolution without the liberation of women.

Within We Live in Silence, Chiurai intentionally presents ideas which blur the lines between past, present, and future. Immersing the viewer into a non-linear experience of being, the artist employs this trans-generational perspective to explore the persisting effects of colonial dominance. Here his black protagonists dissolve their inferiority by enslaving and enchaining the ‘other’, to satisfy a dominant stature.

source: http://marianeibrahim.com/artists/kudzanai-chuirai/kudzanai-chiurai-we-live-in-silence-sept-13-oct-29-2018