Dark Art 2012

Arriving in Dakar was a moment that I had looked forward to as it imaginatively presented to me as the finest contemporary arts showcase in the continent. As a young curator I started to put images and research together and I had this image of an unfinished vision. Travelling to Senegal really made me feel great as this was set to thwart all the misconceptions about contemporary African art. I have to say the facilitation by Goethe for me to travel and meet up with old friends within the creative circles from around the world kept me on my toes as I sought to find the Biennale and immense my imaginations into it with an open heart and mind set. Oohhhhh!   The first block was communication then it all clicked that I am in a French speaking territory, the basics worked to keep me in focus.

The official opening signalled challenges amongst the curators and organisers. Compliments to the Senegalese government to the support of the Arts. I was surprised to see that the 10^th Biennale still did not attract locals to attend and participate in the various exhibitions dotted around Dakar. At first it was a bit of a challenge identifying exhibitions but eventually the official map was out and Dakar began to roll out. Coming from Venice Biennale in 2011 I was comfortable seeing that the people that matter in the growing African creative scene, from Curators to artists and sponsors put the effort to see the biennale taking off.

Personally I was thrilled walking up and down the streets of Dakar eating the local favourite Rice and Fish, and the street markets, the fancy and well decorated commuter mini bus rides. Art was found in most places, though to most people it’s just a way of life. The story of African Arts is just the same in the continent that the west is funding our culture and the locals are not keen to support the events. I did not have an outstanding show that moved my jaws. As a young curator I was mostly interested in the use of space, audience building, support and presenting the image of the contemporary artists by African for Africans very little of that I saw, at least in the few days I was there so I lost the oomph and because 20years on, the biennale it did not meet my expectations.

I am grateful to have been part of the show and to have been part of the Goethe team in Dark Art 2012 the experience was worth it as networking with fellow artists and curator in Africa was the highlight of the stay nurturing the contacts and sharing with fellow creative will be a joy to do as I look for something new to create or participate in the story of Dark Art is debatable yet it sounds complete.  

90 Days in Venice

My name is Cliford of the son of uZulu, I inhabit from the city of kings in Bulawayo. An artist come administrator and now working towards fulltime curating exhibitions at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe-Bulawayo, I will share my 90 day personal experience on working and visiting Italy. I arrived in Venice on the 1st of June 2011 in the company of the Terence and Dzikamai the ZBC crew also coming to cover the Exhibitionn and the Biennale in general. Now i was beginning to link my areal Google research and the reality on the ground. I realised that technology is becoming more and more relevant in our day to day life.

Venezia, Italian for Venice is “a water City” and the island relies on water for every means of its day to day activities. The only time I saw cars was in a ferry crossing through the canal to the beach island of Lido or when I went to main land Venice Mestre.

Being the first time in Venice I was amazed by the architecture and getting around, I felt like I was in a maze or game.” Imagine a fish (Bream) on a table”, that’s the aerial-abstract view of the city, so I got rid of my leather shoes and put on some walking shoes. For 90 days i walked around the city from the Pavilion to the Apartment. I walked from the apartment in Fonda Fonte Nove to the pavilion near San Marco in 30 minutes

The Zimbabwean pavilion is situated on the 2nd floor of Casa per Ferie the Instituto Provinciale  S.Maria Della Pieta  Calle della pieta in Castello 3701 – 30122 Venezia and shares the complex with the Ireland pavilion. My task is to provide vital interface with visitors to the pavilion, maintain and supervise the smooth running of the exhibition that opens from 10 am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday, Monday closed. First week of the Biennale was crazy and alive with hundreds of visitors in the city it was vernissage after vernisagge. The Zimbabwe pavilion had the Private View (official opening) on the 4^th of June, officiated by the The Zimbabwean ambassador to Italy Mary Mubi. The four artists featured in the exhibition Tapfuma Gutsa, Berry Bickle, Calvin Dondo and Misheck Masamvu where present to promote their work, also present was Doreen Sibanda the Pavilion commissioner Raphael Chikukwa the Curator and Rev. Paul Damasane.

The first 30 days where characterised by a high turn out of visitors who included curators, gallery owners, artists and art lovers in general. My time table was mostly apartment pavilion apartment and Mondays that’s when I would visit other pavilions. During lunch time I also went to taste Venice and I must confess the first week was challenging. I just missed my wife’s cooking, but I soon got used to the pastas and the spaghettis around different restaurants, enjoying outdoor dinning with a bit of Venetian street performers making time fly by. Venice history is reach and it will take another 5 pages to tell you about maybe in my next blog. Walking around the city recalling all the Google stories about “the city sinking” I just took extra care and was working on my exit strategy, you know incase the lagoon decides to. Gondolas Vaporatos watertaxis, waterdelivery boats water this is life. So the first month was dedicated to work discover and learn.

The second month was much more interesting because I got rid of the Venice maps and began to explore the city more avoiding main tourist’s roots and getting lost and the labyrinth. The Venetian invigilators at the pavilion where now accustomed to the exhibition so I had time to discover the Biennale, the artists curator and the commissioner where gone (yiiiiiihaaaahh hurrrayyyyy it was time to get this party started -Jokes) giving me time to plan my curatorial analysis programme. After finding my foot with the taste i moved on to the Venice night programme, to my surprise life begins in the evening with people going out for meals drinks and small parties, i enjoyed the night stroll as it gave me a better picture of the city while drinking local popular wine prosecco by the canals. during the day temperatures would be so high that most of the people would just sweat from the humid heat.

I made a quick visit to most of the pavilions out side the major exhibition centers, the Giardini and the Arsenale I reserved those for the last month of my stay. The second month also opened new communication and activity avenues with the invigilators working in other pavilions. Networking opportunities, joint skill and information sharing activities about art and what happens during the day in the pavilions became part of the activity. My observation of the artwork to the pavilions visited and the Zimbabwean pavilion, results of my curatorial analysis will be published after I complete my mission in Venice.

Third month, I became a Zimbabwean man in Venice, i started exploring mainland Venice- Mestre to see the art life and general living conditions of the Italian people was, and to my little surprise i discovered a rather painful story of the Venetian people. They claim that their livelihood in Venice has been destroyed as they have been pushed out of the city due to an influx of tourists, causing the cost of food transport and housing to go beyond the reach of many. There is a population of about 55 000 venetians home owners with a very rich history and culture in Venice, but on a daily basis 60 to 80 000 tourists visit the city taking pictures of everything they see even of just a family sitting in the house or doing laundry is fascinating to visitors with their long black cameras. That on its own is an ongoing debate that I will blog about also.

Basically I have just been immersed by the way the Biennale has been hosted by the city and the kind of activities that happens during the six months that the Art, Film, Music and dance activities are organized and presented to the world to see. I am so gatefull to the national Gallery for an

After 90 days in Venice I took a break and went home to see family and 8 days after I was back in the city of water predicted to sink by…………. till the next blog part 2 of my Venice experience. Bling me this opportunity which is part of the job to explore and develop ways within which this inaugural exhibition becomes a stepping stone for future participation in the this and other biennales around the world including the initiation of the Zimbabwean, Harare, Bulawayo, Mutate Biennale, and in the Zimbabwean arts calendar

Ciao Cliford Zulu  20 September 2011 @12:30 pm

Studio or Admin

The passion and the talent of creating images through painting and carving/sculpting over the past 10 years and the subsequent move into the administration of the visual arts in Bulawayo i am enjoying doing both at the moment and that is keeping me extremely busy; office by day and artists by night morning and the weekends.

I now look back and forward in trying to come up with the best way to be known and understood in as an individual. and i cant get over the fact the i love both. Maybe the current economical and political situation in Zimbabwe is pushing human beings so hard in order for one to put food on the table. I will not talk about roof over shelter yet because that remains a dream in a long pipeline for some of  us.

Alex turning 4 in November 2011, looks up to daddy to keep him happy with all the gadgets he needs while Buhlebenkosi looks up to hubby to comfort and provide confidence line for the future of the Family.

So when i wake up in the morning at about 5 am i must be at the workshop/studio at about 6am to get started on clients orders ranging from carved table tops, carved to ivory tusks etc.

At 815 am i must be on my way to the office (Gallery) and get by until 5pm, then back to the studio for final touches that will finish over the weekend. it pays well and you get a sense of control satisfaction and ownership.

On the  other hand the administration job is lovely and full of challenges and opportunities in the field of curating, locally and internationally. i get the opportunity to interact with the who’s and the who’s in the creative circles like exhibition openings and other creative functions.

so as i conclude part one of this doc. i just want to sit down and find the best way and the most rewarding satisfying and good job, source of income, career etc. till then talk to me.