Modern Fabrics

modern fabrics
>urban culture and artists connected to the city landscape<
Curated by Nontobeko Ntombela

Exploring notions of identity, aesthetics, human and geographic relationships; ‘modern fabrics’ interrogates the relationship between 'high' and 'low' culture in the cosmopolitan urban landscape of South Africa.

The exhibition is arranged in a symmetrical construction probing dialogues between works of different artists as a way of finding synergies, commonality and contradictions. This construction is set to demonstrate the diverse and hybrid nature of the city. Whilst the word ‘fabrics’ creates an impression of a show of artists' only working with a didactic inclusion of fabrics, the title of the show is a metaphor for ‘young artists’ on the exhibition. ‘Modern fabrics’ also refers to the constructed weave of the modern urban environment.

Coincidentally, selected artists in the show have works that use fabric, their works have been included because of their conceptual comment relating to the city. Similar to the inclusion of other types of found objects, these low cultured commodities in artists' work, purposefully transform the 'found object' function into new readings. Mkhize, Bengu, Xaba, and Sitas explore this dimension in their work.

Dunywa, Mama, Bopape, Dunn & Zondi interrogate the contemporary language of high tech through the use of new media whilst exploring different and separate concepts in their works. Traditional mediums are also included, particularly the work of Vaughan-Evans and Sibande, who use painting to excavate notions of both human and geographic relationships.

Curated by Nontobeko (Nonto) Ntombela. She is currently employed as the Gallery Curator of the Art Gallery, Durban University of Technology. Trained as an artist in recent years she has worked mainly as a curator and art project manager in Durban.

For More information contact Nonto Ntombela or Bronwyn Lace
nontobekon@gmail.com or Bronwyn.lace@gmail.com
0781901221 (Nonto) or 0716820756 (Bronwyn)