JAG opens two ‘unique’ African art exhibitions
21 November 2016
As dusk settled on Saturday, November 19, light raindrops fell through the arched open roof of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) in Joubert Park in the Johannesburg inner city.
As the light drizzle gently continued, guests waited patiently in the iconic, century-old building as seconds and minutes ticked by.
The evening was worth the wait. It was the official summer opening of two highly anticipated exhibitions – “The Evidence of Things Not Seen” and “Africans in America”, both of which feature works exclusively by black artists and explore the concepts of an African identity, culture, expression, feminism, queerness and revolution.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba set the tone of the evening when he said: “Tonight marks the opening of two very unique exhibitions that explore the manifestations of ubuntu. These pieces poignantly capture the ever-changing political and social landscape of our country and the world.”
Premised on the James Baldwin title of the same name, “The Evidence of Things Not Seen” has transformed the halls of the Johannesburg Art Gallery into a visual feast of multi-medium pieces from high-profile and emerging artists such as Gerard Sekoto, Blessing Ngobeni, Portia Zvavahera, Ranjith Kally, Dumile Feni, Cyprian Shilakoe, Ernest Cole and Berni Searle, to mention a few.
The exhibition, which runs until May 2017, provides audiences with the ideal way to view pieces from several collections that have never been exhibited before.
The “Africans in America” exhibition, which is being hosted at the Goodman Gallery and, in part, on the lower level of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, explores the complex identity and relationship of being African-American.
In attendance were several international academics, gallery dealers, museum experts and collectors touring Johannesburg and Cape Town for the seventh Black Portraits Conference.
Mayor Mashaba said the exhibitions and their contexts were important reflections in relations to the historic events on the South African calendar and encouraged the viewer to “contemplate things that are seen, and sometimes not seen”.
“These exhibitions, which explore the multifaceted nature of being African, come as we celebrate 20 years of the adoption of our Constitution, which enshrined our freedoms; the watershed City of Johannesburg elections of 3 August 2016, which displayed the maturity of our democracy; the 40th anniversary of the Soweto uprising; and the 130th anniversary of the founding of our great city, Johannesburg. All of these events marked a radical shift in South Africa and how we see ourselves as South Africans,” the Mayor said.
Commenting on the “Africans in America” exhibition, Michael Dinwiddie, Associate Professor in the Gallatin School of Individualised Study at New York University, said it was a poignant exploration of the faceted nature of being an African and provided several thought-provoking glimpses at some rather painful and sensitive subjects.
Acting Curator-in-Chief Musha Neluheni who, together with JAG Registrar Tara Weber worked to create the dynamic show, said the exciting exhibitions highlighted the direction JAG was heading – being an open and accessible platform for the exploratory acquisition of knowledge and understanding about art and history and its context in society.
“Creating an open and informative experience for one and all is where we are headed and this exhibition highlights this principle,” said Neluheni.