In July 2013 Cliford Zulu sculptor and Assistant Curator was
invited to participate in a three week long international artist’s workshop in
the UK. Popty Bach is a networking result that was discussed in 2011 by
Victoria Malcolm and Cliford Zulu while working at the Wales and Zimbabwe Pavilion
respectively during the 54th Venice Biennale in Italy. In February 2012
Victoria Malcolm came to Zimbabwe to give a talk at the National Gallery in
Bulawayo after participating in the Tuphelo International Artist’s Workshop at
the Bag factory in Johannesburg South Africa. During her stay in Bulawayo a
workshop along the Tuphelo concept was the direction taken hence the invitation
to participate.
The workshop officially began on 17 September with
participants including Cliford Zulu Zimbabwe, Witty Nyide Artist/ Education
Officer Durban Art Gallery and Igshaan Adams artist/ Great more studios
committee member from South Africa, Peter Backer Artist from Liverpool, Louis
Bird Artist, from Carmarthenshire UK and Chris Bonfati USA, visiting to the
Tate Modern Gallery and other galleries in and around London to see the
exhibitions and curatorial work.
We drove to Wales the same afternoon to familiarize with the
working space. Dolbantau is a former bed manufacturing factory known as Alpha-beds,
run by Brian Faux and Victoria Malcom. Victoria Malcolm
The workshops main objectives sought to put together in one
space artists and curators in one space for 10 days so that they can work on
experimental works and are able to tell a story through the exhibition. Also
the workshop persuaded the idea and concept of presenting unfinished works for
the public to interact with the work and complete it in their own interpretation
and understanding
The other part of the workshop included visits to the
galleries in London and Wales which included The Tate Modern and Britain
National Gallery Victoria Albert Museum, October Gallery, Gasworks artists
residency and gallery and in Wales we visited the
Zimbabwe the workshop is still pending I am thinking of
asking a few schools in and around Bulawayo to send in a total of 15 young
artists to beging to focus on art and curating at that level seeing that
curating in Zimbabwe is a fairly new concept the workshop will cover basic
curatorial and art lesson and will share educational opportunities for curating
and art and a professional career
