AVA Gallery presents 4 exhibitions in November – 2 solo and 1 2 group shows – giving you four good treasons to view and enjoy before they close on 21 February. Multiple reasons to browse and enjoy!
For(Sea)Change by The Printing Girls (Group Show) in the Main Gallery:
Clare Menck
In an era in which we face unprecedented threats to planet Earth and urgently need to re evaluate our place in it, art activism can be a powerful catalyst for social change. There is growing recognition that the ‘wild’ of art, its playful unboundedness, its existence in the spaces between things, has a vital part to play in addressing the environmental and socio-political crises we are facing globally today.
The printmakers represented in For(Sea)Change either consciously seek out the sublime, and give material expression to it in the fragile medium of paper, or expose the perilous consequences of ignoring our place in the broader scheme of things. The precarity of these works on paper suggests our human vulnerability, but these artworks also bravely reimagine our broken world: as a rewilded place, a place of restitution and regeneration, not only of our degraded ocean and environment but of our damaged and spiritually alienated selves too. Reaching towards the post-human, they acknowledge the harm human beings have done and look to the interconnectedness of human cultures with other material cultures in the world, both living and non-living. These are powerful contributions to creating a more equitable, courageous and compassionate world, one in which we acknowledge that we live in a vast and interdependent community. In the wild sea of the collective unconscious, no man is an island. It’s time for change.
*This exhibition was made possible thanks to the support by the City of Cape Town.
Conversations in Colour: A Departure Point a solo show by Melissa Fontini in the Front Gallery
Conversations in Colour: A Departure Point, invites you into a world where the human body becomes a canvas for exploring movement, intimacy, and vulnerability. This exhibition investigates the possibilities of non-verbal communication, revealing how humans can tell stories with their bodies. Through a process of collaboration, Fontini engages with individuals who generously share their physical presence, allowing both artist and subject to move beyond everyday defences. This intimate exchange opens doors to the subconscious, uncovering layers of hidden truths that are as compelling as they are revealing.
In this new series presented at the AVA, intimacy and play become the base layer of the artist’s practice, who taps into kinaesthetic experiences to unlock fresh modes of expression. Her paintings emerge from a process of dynamic dialogue, where every stroke of the brush captures the rhythm and vulnerability of a shared experience. [LEAD Photo above]
Destruction, Resilience, Namaqualand curated by Ulric Roberts. Artists: Ulric Roberts, Ronesca Cloete, Vincent Meyburgh, Edwina Le Fleur, Lynette Du Plessis (Group Show) in the Mezzanine Gallery
Ulrich Roberts – Sophie’s Call
Destruction, Resilience, Namaqualand is a group exhibition featuring the work of five artists, three of whom reside in Namaqualand. The scarred landscape and remnants of mining activities in Concordia and the broader Namaqualand provide a visual narrative of the environmental cost of resource extraction. The exhibition gives voice to the voiceless who live among the pain, dreams, and fragments of past and current mining activities in Namaqualand. It juxtaposes colourful oil paintings with stark black-and-white video imagery featuring dance, poetry, and landscape visuals. The poetry speaks of the plight of Namaqua women, illuminating the past and current mining legacies.
This exhibition is designed to engage the audience in contemplation, evoke emotions, and ignite conversations about the delicate relationship between environmental degradation and the human psyche. The exhibition presents a sensory experience that combines the mediums of visual arts, poetry, and videos to create an emotionally evocative experience for the audience.
*This exhibition was amde possible thanks to the support by the City of Cape Town
Love Unbound by Freya Willemoes-Wissing (Solo show) in the Long Gallery
How many men does it take to replace the role of one women?
Love Unbound – Freya Willemoes-Wissing
Love Unbound highlights the ever-evolving nature of love in the contemporary world. This exhibition seeks to foster safe and inclusive dialogue on equal marital rights, focusing on polyandry and feminism. The artist calls existing legal constraints into question, advocating for the recognition of a women’s right to choose multiple husbands in support of diverse family structures. By challenging the norms of monogamy, viewers are invited to reconsider traditional notions of love, partnership, and gender roles.
This exhibition notes how love and relationships manifest in different settings, delving into emotional connections, intimate bonds, and unconventional family structures. It does not seek to persuade its audience to adopt a particular lifestyle but rather encourages a deeper consideration of the complex ways in which humans engage with one another emotionally and romantically. Love Unbound aims to act as a mirror, reflecting the diversity of experiences that exist outside the traditional.
WHAT: AVA Gallery presents 4 exhibitionsÂ
WHERE: Association for Visual Arts Gallery, 35 Church St, Cape Town 8001
WHEN: open through 21 November 2024
INFO: T 021424 7436 | E admin@ava.co.za | VISIT |
Association for Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery [12]
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