Sunday Artist Talks
In two rounds of discussion, artists of the exhibition consider the function and significance of painting and art in the Pan-African context as well as the artistic and social challenges with which they currently see themselves confronted.
The discussions are held in English.
Sunday, May 26, 2024 Curator Tandazani Dhlakama with Esiri Erheriene-Essi (Amsterdam) and Kambui Olujimi (New York)
11.15 a.m.–12.45 p.m., Studio Gegenwart
Costs: CHF 10/5 (+ Optional: Entry CHF 13)
Esiri Erheriene-Essi (b. London, UK, 1982, lives and works in Amsterdam)
After obtaining her MFA from the University of East London in 2006, Erheriene-Essi attended De Ateliers in Amsterdam, where she currently resides. Her paintings archive moments from Black people’s lives with vibrant depth, colour and detail, counteracting the flatness of the Black figures in the canonical narratives she seeks to imagine more humanely.
Kambui Olujimi (b. 1976, lives and works in Brooklyn/New York)
The work of Kambui Olujimi challenges established modes of thinking that commonly function as “inevitabilities.” This pursuit takes shape through interdisciplinary bodies of work spanning sculpture, installation, photography, writing, video and performance. His works have premiered nationally and internationally at Sundance Film Festival, Museum of Modern Art, LACMA, Sharjah Biennial 15, 14th Dak’Art Biennale, and Kunsthal Rotterdam, among others.
Sunday, September 1, 2024 with Sungi Mlengeya (Dar es Salaam), Meleko Mokgosi (Massachusetts), Joy Labinjo (London)
11.15 a.m.–12.45 p.m., Studio Gegenwart
Sungi Mlengeya (b. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 1991, lives and works in Dar es Salaam)
Mlengaya is a self-taught artist. Her paintings make use of minimalist forms and negative space to create portraits of Blackness and womanhood, depicting dark figures in shades of black and brown placed against perfectly white backgrounds. These compositions explore self-discovery and empowerment.
Meleko Mokgosi (b. Francistown, Botswana, 1981, lives and works in Massachusetts)
Mokgosi, who holds an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is an artist and associate professor of painting and drawing at Yale School of Art, Connecticut. His large-scale paintings critically explore themes of colonialism, democracy, nationalism, and liberation in southern Africa.
Joy Labinjo (b. London, UK, 1994, lives and works in London)
Labinjo studied at the University of Newcastle, then at the Ruskin School of Art at Oxford University. Her vibrant, large-scale paintings are based on collaged fragments of images from her family archive and other sources. Her work explores diasporic communities and the multiplicity of her identity as a Black woman.
Août
FÜHRUNG
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Führung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
En allemand. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
FÜHRUNG
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Guided tour of the exhibition «When We See Us. A Century of Black Figuration in Painting»
En anglais. Costs: Admission + CHF 5.
15:00–17:00
A Light Lyricism. Reading Group and Literary Companion to «When We See Us»
With Sindi-Leigh McBride (researcher and writer) and guests
En anglais. In six public reading group sessions, we work through a selection of texts by James Baldwin, Ken Bugul, Teju Cole, Akwaeke Emezi, Bernardine Evaristo, Andrea Lee, Maaza Men, Kwame McPherson, Johny Pitts, Koleka Putuma, Zadie Smith, and Brandon Taylor. All texts will be made available to participants in advance. Age: From 16 years. Participation free of charge, registration required via ticket link.
FÜHRUNG
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Führung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
En allemand. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
CONVERSATION
12:30–14:30
Serving Questions
Discursive menu and installation by the Hybrid Project Space collective and chef Olivier Bur
In French. At this special lunch, questions will be served that encourage reflection on the exhibition, its themes and the institutional context. Chef Olivier Bur will complement the discussion with food. Participation free of charge, Ticket via ticket link. Limited number of participants.
15:00–17:00
A Light Lyricism. Reading Group and Literary Companion to "When We See Us"
With Sindi-Leigh McBride (researcher and writer) and guests
In English. In six public reading group sessions, we work through a selection of texts by James Baldwin, Ken Bugul, Teju Cole, Akwaeke Emezi, Bernardine Evaristo, Andrea Lee, Maaza Men, Kwame McPherson, Johny Pitts, Koleka Putuma, Zadie Smith, and Brandon Taylor. All texts will be made available to participants in advance. Age: from 16 years. Admission is free, registration is required via ticket link.
FÜHRUNG
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Führung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
En allemand. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
VISITE GUIDÉE PAR LA COMMISSAIRE D'EXPOSITION
GEGENWART
18:30–19:30
Kuratorinnenführung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
En allemand. Mit der Kuratorin Maja Wismer. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
FÜHRUNG
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Führung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
En allemand. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
WORKSHOP
11:00–17:00
Offenes Studio Gegenwart
Nous remettons en question nos habitudes visuelles ! A travers des trous d'observation et des télescopes que nous avons fabriqués nous-mêmes, nous cherchons des motifs inhabituels dans les salles de musée et les œuvres d'art. Une fois dessinées et reproduites, nos esquisses seront assemblées au Studio Gegenwart en une seule œuvre d'art globale, un grand tapis à motifs. Ouvert à tous : familles, amies et amis, enfants, jeunes et adultes sont les bienvenus. Participation gratuite sans inscription.
WORKSHOP
15:00–16:30
Dialogue Session
The Role of Art in Shaping Historical Narratives. With Marilyn Umurungi
En anglais. This session introduces an intersectional, Afro-feminist lens on BIPOC groups and movements that have become essential in creating visibility for communities of the diaspora. Costs: Entry + 5 CHF
RENDEZ-VOUS AM MITTAG
GEGENWART
12:30–13:00
Rendez-vous am Mittag: «When We See Us»
En allemand. Mit der Kuratorin Maja Wismer. Kosten: Eintritt.
WORKSHOP
GEGENWART
15:00–16:30
Dialogue Session
Storytelling Through Design. Avec Cherry-Ann Morgan
En anglais. A practical workshop that invites audiences to tap into new narratives of design through culture and storytelling beyond dominant narratives. The interdisciplinary dialogue series aims to foster conversations that connect museum audiences with the diverse spectrum of Black and African diasporic perspectives in Swiss society. This series is curated by Keabetswe Boccomino (Afrinova). Limited number of participants. Costs: Admission + CHF 5.
