Video of VOICES at Spier Contemporary in 2010

"Voices", Spier Contemporary, 2010 from Maurice Mbikayi on Vimeo.

The Hollard Creative Exchange Programme in collaboration with the AVA Gallery

This project was sponsored by Hollard Corporate through “The Hollard creative exchange programme”, facilitated by “The Spier art academy and Jeanetta Blignaut Art consultancy”. it was a year exchange programme with work in studio and research, between Cape Town and Johannesburg which ends up in a touring solo exhibitions, called “Notre Peau” (a metaphor for African response to the New technology). The first exhibition in Cape Town was realized at the Association for Visual Art, the AVA Gallery (opening on 24th January 2011). The second part will be at Villa Arcadia, the Hollard Campus in JHB (Date to be confirmed). The project looked at African countries as reliance to mining and technological revolution but also to at the vulnerability to low wage labour.

Title of the project: “Notre Peau”

Content:

This body of work is a personal exploration of the technical revolution that has greatly impacted on many African countries. In my country, the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), the reliance on mining for natural resources for instance, has made its people vulnerable to low-wage labour abuse, as well as a range of issues beyond their control, dictated by international economic markets. This has had a devastating impact on the country’s cultural and environmental diversity.
In asking myself how as a visual artist I could portray my fascinations, hopes and apprehensions on the subject, I began to obsessively collect found electronic remnants of this rapidly developing technology. The resultant mixed media drawings and sculptures ask questions such as to whom such technological resources are made available and at what or whose expense? What are the consequences impacting on our people and environment?
The title of my exhibition “Notre Peau” (translated as “Our Skin”) is a metaphor used to illustrate a distinctly African response to the various impacts of technology on the continent. While exposed to the elements and easily injured, skin can also be described as extraordinarily resilient. It is able to regenerate and repair itself, and change in colour or shade to adapt to its environment.
While working with found objects, I feel exposed to the danger of its effects and I tend to sympathize with people who are on the daily basis systematically exposed to toxic metals in the air.
According to sources, the total e-waste generated is dramatically increasing. This is projected to double in 2012. In 2006, the quantity of e-waste generated by some big cities worldwide had already risen. Most e-waste ends up in poor and unorganized sectors, where labourers with no training and protection dismantle products, often with their bare hands, with the aim of reselling the components.
In the discourse of technologic revolution, and the way the contemporary world has being globalised; it will be foolish to ignore a strong contribution of technology in our daily lives. To reject such endeavours would be unreasonable and go against global businesses and preclude the flow of ideas and knowledge. Thus the dilemma seems a vicious circle and only getting worse.

AMANI Art Festival 2010 at lookout Hill-Khayelitsha

Directed by Suzy Bell(writer,poet and columnist) the festival was co-organized and curated by a number of trusted curators and art practitioners last November 2010. The ideal was to encourage divers exchanges. And in addition to engage also the suburb, renegociate the townships space very much neglected from art world, instead of always doing events and exhibitions in developed Cities, the AMANI Festival also looked at possibilities of producing shows in rural places like Khayelitsha, in order to support integration. Lookout hill venue hosted Art exhibition, hip hop music,workshops,poetry, Fashion show.

Concept
This installation brings to light a multiculturalism viewpoint between Migrants people from around Africa. It is a metaphoric and conceptual artwork which focuses on the migratory history of people and their experience from place to place. How individuals in contexts of place origin and race, have to redefine his identity. Looking back to the past and the future sees concept of birthplace and new place differently(globalization in this instance). Fleets paper boats in this installation are the instability of a society to transform one future,white bandage symbolizing the fragility of a human being to be destroyed and also the capacity to heal himself and be resourceful.The ephemeral attitudes of African societies confront an inherent reality, the question of discrimination, tribalism and gender discrimination have to be discussed and that also face major interests. However in a global viewpoint, prospects of different future has to be considered, in terms of looking at concepts and dynamics of globalism and migration.Therefore to dialectically discuss the matters of African contemporary world as a Pan-Africa interest.

Exhibition:"ECHOES" at Alliance Francaise of Cape Town,155 Loop Str/CT.,on 10th August @ 18h:30

“I am...my experience, my life and the life of those around me...we had a home, a place that gave us our identity, now we are guests in your home...”

The body of work is a metaphor that embodies and expresses the excruciating vulnerability of African working class, poor, women and children...... brothers and sisters and the litany of organized and random assaults tearing away at the tissue of their lives.

In my Africa;

Where life and dignity should be preserved and defended by those who have the power to determine and control governance and policy there is war for power, displacement and persecution – pawns with little or no value.
Where for each person there should be joy, growth, security and justice there is rape, torture and personal catastrophe – ordinary dreams of life ripped asunder.
Where our most notable capacity is the skill with which we turn on each other with precision, clarity and determination - my brother is my enemy.
Where a white and gold Jabulani with erratic trajectory eroded all boundaries and differences between us...briefly.

If I was in my head we would discuss;
• Unsustainable African regimes and policies.
• Insecurity for and violence against the poor disempowered and displaced.
• The cultural creation of identity and belonging.
• Xenophobia, integration programmes for displaced persons.
• Football and survival.
Mercifully... (Merci!) I am in my hand... not my head.

With thanks to:
• Julian Leon
• Dominique Jossie
• Lodi Paul Inga
• Africa Centre
• Spier contemporary 2010
• And Du plexus Film

Exhibition opening at Alliance Française of Cape Town
10th August @ 18h30 Until 29th August 2010

Contacts: +27 84825 4064
+27 21423 5699
Email: mauricembikayi@gmail.com