Otherscapes

The Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation (JCAF) announces Otherscapes. The exhibition features installations by four contemporary South African artists: Siemon Allen, Wim Botha, Nicholas Hlobo and Sethembile Msezane.

Otherscapes proposes surveying the scene of contemporary South Africa through four large-scale installations that can be viewed as “scapes.” These suggest different takes on the state of the country by exploring narratives around people and nation, identity and place, body and space.

From the illusion of the rainbow nation to the prospect of a failed state, the exhibition interrogates what lies in the space between utopia and failure. The featured artworks present subjective views informed by colonialism, politics, memory and spirituality. If it were possible to create a collective sense of belonging in South Africa, what would it look like? How would it feel?

The four installations evoke architectural qualities, forms that emerge from the landscape, as spectres rather than solid structures. Visitors will experience these interactive spatial environments by walking around, in or through the installations in order to engage with them.

Clive Kellner, Executive Director at JCAF, comments: “This exhibition asks, How can art reflect on the current South African situation, not through direct representation but through ideas that reflexively raise important questions about our democracy?” 

Otherscapes introduces the South African-focused programme taking place at JCAF during 2023, which will culminate in December with the launch of the inaugural edition of the JCAF Journal: Interdisciplinary Knowledge from the South and performances by Robin Rhode: Pictures Reframed and Mandla Mlangeni: Elusive Dreams in Jozi.

Featured artists: Siemon Allen (South Africa), Wim Botha (South Africa), Nicholas Hlobo (South Africa), Sethembile Msezane (South Africa)

A virtual tour of the exhibition is available on the JCAF website.