State of the Nation

Artist Kudzanai Chiurai explores the ‘State of the Nation’ in his new exhibition, which opens in Newtown at the start of next month.

The Zimbabwean-born artist has explored the notion of ‘state’ as a utopia and an action, a state of mind as well as a status. This new exhibition promises to be a sensory delight with photographic prints, drawings, large oil paintings, video, sound, installation and performance.

The show will also see Kudzanai collaborate with photographer Jurie Potgeiter and singers Thandiswa Mazwai and Zaki Ibrahim, all curated by Melissa Mboweni.

‘State of the Nation’ will focus on youth culture and proposes a fresh way of looking at the socio-politics of our continent by juxtaposing the past and the present. The artworks explore the conflict Africa has experienced, following an individual’s narration of events that lead up to the inaugural speech by the first democratically elected president.

The public and private will be explored in Kudzanai’s performances, which will take place in the streets of Newtown and in basements with limited space. The media is also investigated through drawings and paintings that play into popular hip-hop imagery.

In a similar style to previous bodies of work (‘Dying to be Men’ series of 2009), Kudzanai’s constructed environments are enticing and seductive but explore very real casualties of African independence and democracy and the effects of globalisation on war. And ultimately the artist asks: “If we could write our history and chart our futures as we please, who would we be?”

‘State of the Nation’ will be on show at 50 Gwi Gwi Mrwebi Street Newtown from 3 November to 3 December and the Goodman Gallery Projects at Arts on Main from 6 November to January 2012.

VISI featured Kudzanai’s industrial city loft. Check it out here.