South Africa

_{Posted on Thursday 31-05-2007}

Africa remix: Contemporary art of a Continent

_{The ground-breaking Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent – which runs at the Johannesburg Art Gallery from June 24 to September 30 – features the work of more than 85 artists from 25 countries on the African continent and the Diaspora. Never before in the history of the continent has an exhibition of such magnitude focusing exclusively on Africa been shown to African audiences.}

_{When the acclaimed exhibition was first launched at the Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, in 2004, it was considered to be the largest exhibition of contemporary African art ever seen in Europe. It includes painting, sculpture, installation, video, drawing, photography and design. The role of the African artists on the international art scene is a contemporary one. The artists represent their own work – not their countries.}

_{Africa Remix explores the themes of city and land (the contrasting experiences of urban and rural life), identity and history (including issues of tradition and modernity and the relation of the individual to the community) and body and soul (religion, spirituality, emotion and sexuality).}

_{South African artists included in the exhibition are Jane Alexander; Willie Bester; Wim Botha; Andries Botha; Tracey Derrick; Marlene Dumas; David Goldblatt; Jackson Hlungwani; William Kentridge; Moshekwa Langa; Zwelethu Mthethwa; Santu Mofokeng; Tracey Rose and Guy Tillim.}

_{Cameroon-born, Paris-based curator and critic Simon Njami is the curator of Africa Remix. After its opening in Germany, the show subsequently travelled to the Hayward Gallery in London; Centre Pompidou in Paris; the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. This is the first time it has been seen in Africa.}

_{Njami is a writer, curator and novelist. He was co-founder and chief editor of the Paris based journal Revue Noire and has published numerous essays on African contemporary art. He is visiting professor at the University of San Diego (African arts, photography, literature and arts); visual arts consultant for the Association Française d’Action Artistique (AFAA) and director of Rencontres de la Photographie de Bamako. He has curated a number of exhibitions including L’Afrique par elle-meme (Revue Noire, photography) in Paris; London and tour (1998 to 1999); El Tempo de Africa, Las Palmas (2000) and Madrid (2001), Fragments of Africa, ARCO, Madrid (2004) and the African section of the Sao Paolo Biennale (2004).}

_{Several walkabouts of Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent will be conducted offering the public an opportunity to gain insight into the exhibition and artworks. Guided tours of the exhibition by museum guides will be given for schools, learners and the general public.}

_{A number of seminars will be held for the public, sponsored by Africalia and the Ford Foundation, (see details of panel discussions in this press pack). A full-colour South African version of the catalogue – including essays by Njami and David Elliott - is to be published jointly with Jacana Media. The catalogue is to be distributed nationally in all major book stores and at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. The catalogue also contains a comprehensive section on African leaders as well as festivals, journals, institutions and movements that have shaped culture on the continent. An education supplement and a CD ROM will also be available.}

_{Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent is sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development; Goethe Instiut; Southern African-German Cultural Fund; Mondriaan Foundation; IFAS Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud; the Embassy of France in South Africa; CULTURESFRANCE; OIF Organisation; Internationale de la Francophonie; NAC National Arts Council; Africalia, Belgium; the Ford Foundation; Business and Arts South Africa (BASA); Gauteng Province; Arts Alive; the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Gordon Schachat Collection and Jacana Publishers.}

_{Partners include Wits Institute of Social and Economic Research (WISER); Wits School of Arts (WSOA); Trinity Session; Sebenza Forwarding and Shipping Consultancy (Pty) Ltd and Adele Prins, Flowdesign. Media partners are 702 Talk Radio and The Sunday Times.}

_{AFRICA REMIX: LIST OF ARTISTS}

_{Akinbiyi, Akinbode* 1946 Oxford, Great Britain. Lives in Berlin, Germany}

_{Akpan, Sunday Jack* 1940 Ikot Ide Etukudo, Nigeria.}

_{Alexander, Jane* 1959 Johannesburg, South Africa. Lives in Cape Town.}

_{Alvim, Fernando* 1963 Luanda, Angola. Lives in Brussels/Belgium and Luanda.}

_{Amer, Ghada* 1963 Cairo, Egypt. Lives in New York.}

_{Anatsui, El* 1944 Anyako, Ghana. Lives in Nsukka, Nigeria.}

_{Andrianomearisoa, Joël* 1977 Antananarivo, Madagascar. Lives in Paris.}

_{Assubuji, Rui* 1964 Cabo Delgado (Ilha do Ibo), Mozambique. Lives in Maputo.}

_{Baladi, Lara* 1969 Beirut, Lebanon. Lives in Cairo, Egypt.}

_{Barrada, Yto* 1971 Paris, France. Lives in Paris and Tangier, Morocco.}

_{Basto, Luis* 1965 Maputo, Mozambique. Lives in Maputo and Harare, Zimbabwe.}

_{Baz, Mohamed El* 1967 El Ksiba, Morocco. Lives in Lille, France.}

_{Benohoud, Hicham* 1968 Marrakech, Morocco. Lives there.}

_{Bester, Willie* 1956 Cape Town, South Africa. Lives there.}

_{Bickle, Berry* 1959 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Lives in Harare, Zimbabwe.}

_{Bidjocka, Bili* Duala, Cameroon. Lives in Paris, Brussels and Mana/French Guiana.}

_{Botha, Andries* 1952 Durban, South Africa. Lives there.}

_{Botha, Wim* 1974 Pretoria, South Africa. Lives there.}

_{Bouabdellah, Zoulikha* 1977 Moscow, Soviet Union. Lives in Paris. Parents from Algeria, where she was raised.}

_{Bruly Bouabré, Frédéric* 1923 Zepreguhe, Côte d'Ivoire. Lives in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.}

_{Capela, Paulo* 1947 Ouiz, Angola. Lives in Angola.}

_{Cherin, Chéri* 1955 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaïre). Lives there.}

_{Cherinet, Loulou* 1970 Göteborg, Sweden. Lives in Stockholm. Father from Ethiopia.}

_{Cissé, Soly* 1969 Dakar, Senegal. Lives there.}

_{D., Omar* 1951 Algeria. Lives in Paris and Algiers.}

_{Derrick, Tracey* South Africa. Lives in Cape Town.}

_{Diallo, Cheick* 1960 Bamako, Mali. Lives in Rouen, France.}

_{Dilomprizulike* 1960 Enugu, Nigeria. Lives in Lagos.}

_{Dumas, Marlene* 1953 Cape Town, South Africa. Lives in Amsterdam.}

_{Fakhir, Ymane* 1969 Casablanca, Morocco. Lives in Marseille, France.}

_{Fatmi, Mounir * 1970 Tangier, Morocco. Lives in Paris and Tangier.}

_{Faye, Balthazar* 1964 Dakar, Senegal. Lives in Paris.}

_{Fosso, Samuel* 1962 Kumba, Cameroon. Lives in Bangui, Central African Republic.}

_{Gaba, Meschac* 1961 Cotonou, Benin. Lives in Amsterdam.}

_{Gasteli, Jellel* 1958 Tunis, Tunisia. Lives in Paris.}

_{Gera (Mawi Mazgabu)* 1941 Tsata, Ethiopia. Lives in Addis Ababa.}

_{Goldblatt, David* 1930 Randfontein, South Africa. Lives in Johannesburg.}

_{Hazoumé, Romuald* 1962 Porto Novo, Benin. Lives there.}

_{Hlungwani, Jackson* 1923 Nkanyani, South Africa. Lives in Mbhokoto, South Africa.}

_{Kenawy, Amal & Abd El Ghany * 1974 / * 1969 Egypt}

_{Kentridge, William* 1955 Johannesburg, South Africa. Lives there.}

_{Kingelez, Bodys Isek* 1948 Kimbembele Ihunga (former Zaïre). Lives in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.}

_{Konaté, Abdoulaye* 1953 in Diré, Mali. Lives in Bamako, Mali.}

_{Langa, Moshekwa* 1975 Bakenberg, North province, South Africa. Lives in Johannesburg and Amsterdam.}

_{Leki Dago, Ananias* 1970 Côte d'Ivoire}

_{Leye, Goddy* 1965 Mbouda, Cameroon. Lives in Duola and Amsterdam.}

_{Lilanga Di Nyama, Georges* 1940 Maasi, Tanzania. Lives in Dar es Salam, Tanzania.}

_{Lundangi, Franck K.* 1958 Maquela do Zombo, Angola. Lives in Paris.}

_{Mabunda, Gonçalo* 1975 Maputo, Mozambique. Lives there.}

_{Magema, Michèle* 1977 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lives in Neuilly-sur-Marne and Paris, France.}

_{Mansaray, Abu Bakarr* 1970 Tongo, Sierra Leone. Lives in Freetown and Harlingen, Netherlands.}

_{Mehretu, Julie* 1970 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Lives in New York.}

_{Mihindoa, Myriam* 1964 Libreville, Gabon. Lives in Rabat, Morocco.}

_{Mofokeng, Santu* 1956 Johannesburg, South Africa. Lives there.}

_{Mthethwa, Zwelethu* 1960 Durban, South Africa. Lives in Cape Town.}

_{Musa, Hassan* 1951 Sudan. Lives in Domessargues, Département Gard, France.}

_{Mutima, N'Dilo* 1978 Luanda, Angola. Lives there.}

_{Mutu, Wangechi* Nairobi, Kenya. Lives in New York.}

_{Mwangi, Ingrid* 1975 Nairobi, Kenya. Lives in Ludwigshafen, Germany.}

_{Naim, Sabah* 1967 Cairo, Egypt. Lives there.}

_{Nasr, Moataz* 1961 Alexandria, Egypt. Lives in Cairo.}

_{Nkanga, Otobong* 1974 Kano, Nigeria. Lives in Amsterdam, Paris and Nigeria.}

_{Noshokaty, Shady El * 1971 Damiette, Egypt. Lives in Cairo.}

_{Ntakiyica, Aimé* 1960 Burundi. Lives in Beersel, Belgium.}

_{Ole, Antonio* 1951 Luanda, Angola. Lives there.}

_{Onyango, Richard* 1960 Kisii, Kenya. Lives in Malindi, Kenya.}

_{Owusu-Ankomah* 1956 Sekondi, Ghana. Lives in Bremen, Germany.}

_{Perrier, Eileen* 1974 London, Ghanaian background.}

_{Place, Rodney* 1952 Johannesburg, South Africa. Lives there.}

_{Pume, Francis* 1968 Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lives in Kinshasa.}

_{Rose, Tracey* 1974 in Durban, South Africa. Lives in Johannesburg.}

_{Samba, Chéri* 1956 Kinto M'Vuila, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lives in Kinshasa and Paris.}

_{Santimano, Sérgio* 1956 Lourenço Marques (Maputo), Mozambique. Lives in Maputo.}

_{Sedira, Zineb* 1963 Paris, France. Lives in London. Algerian background.}

_{Semtati, Benyounès* 1966 Oujda, Morocco. Lives in Paris.}

_{Shonibare, Yinka* 1962 London, Great Britain. Lives there. Nigerian background.}

_{deSouza, Allan* 1958 Nairobi, Kenya. Lives in Los Angeles, USA.}

_{Sumegné, Joseph-Francis* 1951 Bamenjou, Cameroon. Lives in Yaoundé.}

_{Tayou, Pascale Marthine* 1967 Yaoundé, Cameroon. Lives in Yaoundé and Brussels.}

_{Tchicaya, Patrice Felix* 1960 Paris, France. Lives there. One part of his family from Congo.}

_{Tillim, Guy* 1962 Johannesburg, South Africa. Lives in Durban and Paris.}

_{Titos Fernando Agostinho Mabota* 1963 Maputo, Mozambique. Lives there.}

_{Toguo, Barthélémy* 1967 M'Balmayo, Cameroon. Lives in Düsseldorf, Paris and Bandjoun, Cameroon.}

_{Tokoudagba, Cyprien* 1939 Abomey, Bénin. Lives there.}

_{Tuggar, Fatimah* 1967 Kaduna, Nigeria. Lives in New York.}

_{Weangaï, Ernest* 1963 Central African Republic. Lives there.}

_{PANEL DISCUSSIONS DURING THE AFRICA REMIX EXHIBITION}

_{PANEL 1: AFRICA REMIX CURATOR AND ARTISTS}

_{PANEL 2: DIGITAL AFRICA}

_{PANEL 3: MUSEUMS IN AFRICA}

_{PANEL 4: AFRICAN INTELLECTUALS}

_{PANEL 5: ART HISTORIANS CONFERENCE}

_{JUNE 27 - PANEL 1: AFRICA REMIX CURATOR AND ARTISTS}

_{Chief curator of Africa Remix Simon Njami and artists Mohamed El Baz, Dilomprizulike, Antonio Ole, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Patrice Felix Tchicaya, Barthelemy Toguo, Mounir Fatmi, Moataz Nasr, Aime Ntakiyica, Joel Andrianomearisoa, Bili Bidjocka, Amal Kenawy and Benyounes Semtati.}

_{This panel allows a South African audience of curators, artists and academics to meet and engage with African artists who for the most part have never been in South Africa before. The result is a sustained dialogue that will lead to exhibitions, articles, and residencies.}

_{JULY - PANEL 2: DIGITAL AFRICA}

_{In partnership with Trinity Session and Unesco Digi Arts. A series of discussions around technology in Africa and its uses related to the visual arts. Invited specialists from Africa and South Africa. This discussion will attempt to deal with the notion of a “Virtual Africa” exploring ways of networking participants on the continent to participate in symposia and dialogues associated with the exhibition.}

_{AUGUST - PANEL 3: MUSEUMS IN AFRICA}

_{Curators from Africa including Yacouba Konate, Okwui Enwezor, Salah Hassan and Susan Vogel in discussion around institutional capacity with curators from Africa. The aim is to create ongoing partnerships and links between institutions on the African continent by bringing museum staff from the continent together.}

_{SEPTEMBER - PANEL 4: AFRICAN INTELLECTUALS}

_{This panel focuses on current contemporary African theorists who are writing the history of contemporary African art. Held in partnership with WISER at Wits University, Deborah Posel, Achille Mbembe and Sarah Nuttall. Academics, theorists and historians include seminal thinkers on Africa such as VY Mudimbe, Mamhood Mamdani and Kwame Anthony Appiah.}

_{SEPTEMBER - PANEL 5: ART HISTORIANS CONFERENCE}

_{In partnership with Wits University, Wits School of the Arts linked to the annual Art Historians Conference.}

_{JOHANNESBURG ART GALLERY DETAILS}

_{Johannesburg Art Gallery}

_{King George Street,}

_{(between Wolmarans and Noord Streets)}

_{Joubert Park}

_Johannesburg

_{Tel: 011 725 3130}

_{Fax: 011 720 6000}

_{Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm}

_{MEDIA ENQUIRIES}

_{Bridget van Oerle / Anele Sigidi / Karlen Hendericks}

_{011 673 4995 / 9272}

_{lionking@buz.co.za}

_{Arts and Culture Trust Publicist of The Year 1999 and 2004

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African Remix: Contemporary art of a Continent

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