Outline
Group exhibitions parade artists of varying levels of development and excellence under the same umbrella, in turn they blur the lines between established artists and those who are in their early stages of development. This is unavoidable if we are committed to continue to tell the human story through the visual arts. It is not hard to imagine that even within the professional circles artists are not on the same trajectory. Nor are they concerned with the same issues. I dare venture to say, nor are they adding their voices to the fine art fray through the same media and styles. Let’s leave it there.
A solo exhibition on the other hand is freed from this burden as its spotlight, not refracted as in a group exhibition setting, falls cylindrically on one artist. Illuminating a concrete possibility of stylistic analysis, value assessment and historical contextualisation of the artist through the work on show.
FL!P.AD
Looked passed its congestion aura, The May Day Exhibition at Ellis House Art Building blur the lines between artists of different calibres. However, in its inclusivity fervor it goes further by accommodating artists who are not based at Ellis House, resulting in a mix of artists practicing in different contexts.
Leaving quality and theoretical assessments of works on show to those versed in art criticism, in this edition of Intraparadox I talk to Bridget Modema, the exhibition curator, regarding the curatorial process of this exhibition. Our conversation covers the exhibition call-out and the type of work featured in the exhibition. The interview concludes by projecting a possibility of this exhibition becoming an annual feature at Ellis House Art Building.
Outlook
Making this exhibition an annual event would play a significant role in ensuring that artists practicing at Ellis House, besides making their work accessible to the public, have the opportunity to showcase their work in the same hub where they can have a conversation with works by other artists who are not housed at the space. Can you imagine the wealth of historical research that such an exhibition project would generate over time?
Winter
24 June
© Mmutle Arthur Kgokong, 2022
Reference credits
+All images featured on this site have been used with permission of the artist and may not be re-used without consent of the artist. **Graphics for the blog post teaser poster is property of Mmutle Arthur Kgokong.
++The audio version of this interview, encountered in version .SBIrieAmbientMIX.v2 remains the property of Mmutle Arthur Kgokong except where his name appears alongside that of a featured artist or artists in the reference statement.
To reference this audio documentation please cite:
Kgokong, M.A. 2022. Intraparadox, Interview with Bridget Modema. May Day Group Exhibition, Ellis House JHB. 15 June 2022, 13.32.SBIrieAmbientMIX.v2. Mmutleak.com-Intraparadox.
Intraparadox 