2016 Zeitgeist

Curator Essay

2016 Zeitgeist

An Exhibition in Print by the Artnauts Collective

Artnauts Publications Denver, Colorado 2017 ISBN: 978-1-5323-4474-9 www.artnauts.org Book Design & Layout by Melissa Furness

SOCIAL, POLITICAL, CULTURAL Zeitgeist - the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time. n. 1848, from German Zeitgeist, literally “spirit of the age,” from Zeit “time” (see tide ) + Geist “spirit” (see ghost ).

Cape Town, South Africa The exhibition at Greatmore Studios occurred from July 13 – 25, 2016 with an opening reception and artist talk on July 13. Greatmore provides subsidized studio space to a select group of local artists and runs an international artist in residence program with the, “aim to facilitate cultural exchange and creative dialogue by bringing together international and local artists in a stimulating and supportive environment.” The organization was established by founding members of The Thupelo Workshops. These workshops began in the mid 1980’s as a vehicle for artist to work together, share information and educate themselves as many were excluded from attending South African universities due to Apartheid. Greatmore continues its traditions of supporting collaboration and social activism through its studio and event spaces which generate a hub of creative activity in its current location in Woodstock – an area of Cape Town thriving with studios, gallery and exhibition spaces. Zeitgeist was also exhibited at Moholo Live House, located in Khayelitsha: the newest, largest and fastest growing township near Cape Town. Moholo Live House is a space dedicated to supporting cultural impulses within the local community and hosts exhibitions, performances, study groups and other community driven assemblies. http://www.greatmoreart.org

This exhibition in print contains artwork of artists within the Artnauts collective. In July 2016, fellow Artnaut members Sandy Lane and Susanne Mitchell travelled to Cape Town, South Africa to facilitate Artnauts first exhibition on the African continent. The exhibition titled, Zeitgeist: Social, Political, Cultural was presented at Greatmore Studios in Cape Town and at Moholo Live House in Khayelitsha. For this exhibition, Artnauts members created artworks responding to the spirit of our times. Participants were asked to create works exploring the social, political and cultural ramifications of current global issues and challenges posed by the 2016 presidential election in the United States.

The space is named in honor of Louis Moholo, the last surviving member of The Blue Notes and a long time friend of Brenda Skelenge, associate curator and a founding member of the space. The opening celebration of our exhibition in Khayelitsha included a performance by Soundz of the South – an internationally recognized, local, hip-hop collective. During the exhibitions the Artnauts collective sponsored several art-making workshops for children, which were facilitated by Sandy Lane and myself. Here, local children were provided with the space, materials and support to create drawings, paintings and mixed media artworks. The University of Colorado, generously donated an abundance of art materials to be used for the workshops and the remaining supplies were given to Peoples Education, a local, non-profit, community orientated, education initiative that regularly hold similar workshops in Cape Town and its surrounding townships. This exhibition seeks to engage ongoing dialogue attributed to the 2016 U.S. presidential election and its impact on the Artnaut mission. This presidential race stirred up many issues that bring into question who we are as individuals and as a nation and what the future holds. The legendary footprint of Artnauts has now left its mark in Africa, and hopefully this represents the first of many collaborations with that continent. --Susanne Mitchell (2016)

Khayelitsha : a Periphery of Zeitgeist, the Arnauts exhibitions for July 2016 occurred at two venues; the second exhibit transpired at Moholo Live House in Harare, Khayelitsha, South Africa. The Moholo space is located in the heart of the Harare Square, which is one of four nodes (town sguares) created in Khayelitsha to promote safety and reduce crime. Cape Town’s city government and the German Development Bank created the Violence Prevention Through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) program. Since its inauguration crime has dropped 24 percent. The Moholo Live House serves as a cultural event center where the community can share in music and other art forms as well as good food. Artnauts collective exhibition facilitated discourse surrounding the show itself as well as the politics of South Africa and more specifically Khayellitsha. The exhibition duration occurred during their local municipal elections. Khayelitsha is a newer community established in the mid 1980s as a last attempt at preserving apartheid as part of the 1950s “Group Areas Act.” At its inception the census documented 30,000 people; today it is estimated that more than a million live in the settlement. The community is the second largest and continually growing community of poverty within South Africa. Its existence continues to increase while surviving on the periphery of Cape Town’s prosperity. Khayelitsha exists as one of many townships on the perimeter of Cape Town. Communities similar to Khayelitsha continue to endure on the outskirts of major cities throughout the country and serve as a testament to the apartheid regime despite its official end in 1994. It’s been 22 years since the end of apartheid law yet the visible damage of a nefarious infrastructure has carved its permanence and division into the land as well as the people