Grada Kilomba presents A World of Illusions an immersive experience to explore questions of race, gender and identity. in Gallery 1 at Norval Foundation.
Performance, music and dynamic scenography, Kilomba creates extraordinary poetic images to explore questions of race, gender and identity.
With her trilogy, A World of Illusions, Grada Kilomba radically reinterprets ancient Greek myths that are usually presented to us as being universal, and delivers new, subversive narratives. She stages the
characters of Narcissus and Echo, Oedipus and Antigone, combining performance, theatre, choreography and music, giving body, voice and form to her own critical writing. Drawing inspiration
from oral African traditions, the artist takes on the role of a contemporary Griot, a storyteller who lets the classic tales speak directly to the current political issues.
The score, by South African composer Neo Muyanga, thus reminds us of the importance of musical genres ‘born of silence’, such as soul, jazz, hip-hop, salsa, reggae or rap, which have asserted themselves
as the aesthetic space in which other enunciations of the world have historically been able to express themselves and circulate, founding a sense of community and forming an integral part of political struggles for liberation and emancipation.
Following earlier installations at the 32nd Sao Paolo Biennale, the 10th Berlin Biennale, and the Palais de Tokyo in 2021, this will be the first time A World of Illusions (2017—2019) is shown on the African
continent. This installation is curated by Marie-Ann Yemsi, Independent exhibition curator and contemporary art consultant.
WHAT: Grada Kilomba – A World of Illusions
WHERE: Gallery 1 at Norval Foundation, 4 Steenberg Rd, Tokai, Cape Town, 7945
WHEN: 8 September 2022 to 9 January 2023 | Gallery hours Mon to Sun 09:00 – 17:00 Tues Closed
INFO: T +27 (0)87 654 5900 | E info@norvalfoundation.org | Visit
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