To work in South Africa is a change of perspective that is very impressive. Europe is not everything and soon every fourth inhabitant on earth will be African.
Much of what we long for in Europe, such as human warmth, youth, imagination, dreaming, is here in abundance, but also injustice, poverty and the “economy of unequal exchange”.
In Europe, Africa only means the threat of migration and, not ouvert, the inexhaustible source of raw materials. In Africa, Europe means colonial threat and exploitation.
None of this is necessarily pleasant, but the change in perspective is still something wonderful. It’s like the cards are being reshuffled.
Maybe, that way, things can be seen in a more lighthearted way, maybe it stimulates the imagination to think new.
A good example is African art. It’s no coincidence that Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Vogue’s current editor-in-chief, is African-American. It is also no coincidence that she now wants to leave this top position because it no longer suits her mentality.
I have been working with Willie Bester in Cape Town for years and have made a large number of sculptures with him. Even though the designs are mine alone, it is interesting to observe how much the environment, the conversation with Willie Bester, working with him, but also working in the African environment has an influence.
While in the beginning about 10 years ago the work was very European, in the sense of “Objet Trouve”,
in the following years there was a fascinating turn towards cubism, and partly also futurism, which were themselves strongly influenced by ancient African art.
This year there was a new turn towards much more expressive African forms, which have recently developed based on old traditions in today’s show business, especially in fashion:
The Investec Cape Town International Art Fair 2024 opened on February 16th.