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, 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 Arusha, Tanzania)
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.
Sunday, May 26, 2024 Curator Tandazani Dhlakama in conversation 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.
July
CURATOR'S TOUR
GEGENWART
18:30–19:30
Kuratorinnenführung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
FULLY BOOKED
In German. Mit der Kuratorin Anita Haldemann. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
WORKSHOP
STUDIO GEGENWART
15:00–16:30
Dialogue Session: The Functional Art Within Community. With Kwaku Dapaah Opoku
A dialogue session on the functionality of African Art derived from shared community practices. 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: CHF 5.
WORKSHOP
STUDIO GEGENWART
11:00–17:00
Offenes Studio Gegenwart: Der Sommer zeichnet Geschichte.
Life by the river Together we will think about everyday life on the Rhine: the people, animals, plants, stones and everything else we encounter. What stories do the river and its banks tell us? What is the relationship between nature and culture around the Rhine? We will give form to our findings, reflections and impressions through paintings, drawings and frottages - outdoors if the weather is fine. Open to all. Participation free of charge.
GUIDED TOUR
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Visite guidée de l'exposition « When We See Us. Un siècle de peinture figurative panafricaine ».
In French. Coût : entrée + CHF 5.
August
GUIDED TOUR
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Führung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
In German. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
GUIDED TOUR
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Guided tour of the exhibition «When We See Us. A Century of Black Figuration in Painting»
Costs: Admission + CHF 5.
STUDIO GEGENWART
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 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.
GUIDED TOUR
GEGENWART
15:00–16:00
Führung in der Ausstellung «When We See Us. Hundert Jahre panafrikanische figurative Malerei»
In German. Kosten: Eintritt + CHF 5.
CONVERSATION
STUDIO GEGENWART
12:30–14:30
Serving Questions
FULLY BOOKED!
Discursive menu and installation by the Hybrid Project Space collective and chef Olivier Bur. 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. Hybrid Project Space together with co-hosts Ann Mbuti and Mona-Lisa Kole invite you to have a seat and share your thoughts. E Guete! Participation free of charge, Ticket via ticket link. Limited number of participants.
CONVERSATION
STUDIO GEGENWART
14:30–18:00
Serving Questions
Installation open at Studio Gegenwart. Hybrid Project Space is a collective of people from the fields of museum studies, curation, media production, art, architecture and graphic design. The collective engages in discussions with the public on how art and cultural spaces can become more inclusive and diverse. The afternoon session is introduced by a music performance by Tracy September. Participation free of charge, no registration required.
