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)

Rites of Fealty/ Rites of Passage

The Bag Factory presents:

Rites of Fealty/ Rites of Passage

A one-night exhibition of performance art

Date: 18h00, Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Venue: Bag Factory Gallery, 10 Mahlatini Street, Fordsburg, Johannesburg

The Bag Factory’s About Art program presents ‘Rites of Fealty/ Rites of Passage’, a one-night exhibition of new performance artworks by a group of emerging South African artists. The exhibition follows an intensive 10-day workshop in performance art presented by Johan Thom. The workshop was structured as a non-hierarchal laboratory, with each of the artists selected for participation already having established a visible presence in the South African cultural sphere. Artists like Ismail Farouk, Anthea Moys, Kemang wa Luhere and Murray Turpin all share in a multi-disciplinary approach to artistic expression, freely mixing elements of fields as far as urban geography, digital sound sampling, video, public performance, dance and theatre into their oeuvres.

New works have been commissioned by each of the participating artists.

Artists include:

Bronwyn Lace, Nadine Hutton, Anthea Moys, Mlu Zondi, Ntando Cele, Rat Western, Ismail Farouk, Murray Turpin, Kemang wa Luhere, Dinkies, Sithole, Johan Thom

The theme ‘Rites of fealty/ Rites of passage’ stresses the transformative capacity of art where the artwork is envisioned as a rite of passage through which both artist and viewer may plot alternatives to existing modes of relating to our familiar surroundings, ordinary social interactions, physical gestures and use of language. In this way art may act as a gateway that embodies the possibility for personal and societal change through direct action and physical participation.

The workshop and exhibition is made possible by:

The Ford Foundation

The Bag Factory

Special thanks to the Nirox Foundation

The exhibition is curated by:

Johan Thom

Bronwyn Lace

Contact details:

info@bagfactoryart.org.za (email)

+27 (0)11 834 9181 (tel)