During Heritage Month a new biennale platform launches with their OPEN FOR DIALOGUE ceremony to announce their ongoing programme which will include an online series of CONVERSATIONS, PERFORMANCES and EXHIBITIONS under the theme “EZIOKWU”/ “Speaking Truths”
The programme will run from 28th September, 2020 – February, 2021 culminating in a major published work and announcements towards the 2022 event.
“Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
The AFRICA SOUTH BIENNALE, mobilised through their OPEN FOR DIALOGUE programme, is collaborating with the African Artists’ Foundation’s long-term “Generator” project under the theme EZIEOKWU” / “Speaking Truths”, a series of conversations which runs between October and February 2021.
Under the current pandemic, monuments that were deemed unmovable have fallen. The Black Lives Matter movement is now internationally recognised with groups of artists and students demonstrating solidarity worldwide. However, there is significant push back, and institutional racism is not so easily dislodged. If we are going to succeed in building a decolonial future, there needs to be greater dialogue on how to generate and distribute equitable meanings and interpretations of our current conditions.
These conversations will involve leading cultural thinkers and form part of. High-quality podcasts, live interviews and radio shows featuring frank one-to-one conversations will be produced regularly in English and French and broadcast. Relevant cultural issues such as climate change, cultural heritage and restitution, future museology, the economics of art,
and the role of gender and art in public health will be debated and edited to fit a period ranging from 35 to 50 minutes.
The OPEN FOR DIALOGUE programme is guided towards exploring the history and geography of the host country, South Africa, and its relationship to Africa and the Global South. The intention for this approach is to use the OPEN FOR DIALOGUE programme to help form our curatorial understanding, responsibilities, and roadmap towards the AFRICA SOUTH BIENNALE 2022. These outcomes will be presented in a published edition in early 2021.
The OPEN FOR DIALOGUE launch is presented and hosted in collaboration with ART AFRICA, the African Artists’ Foundation, Brand South Africa, and Henley Business School, Africa who will be joined in the coming months by numerous partners from the Global South – including prominent platforms for the youth – ensuring that our global programme delivers robust dialogues and fruitful collaborations towards 2022.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR:
Brendon Bell-Roberts
CURATORIAL ADVISOR
Azu Nwagbogu
PRESS & MEDIA
Suzette Bell-Roberts
+27 83 261 3147
ORGANISERS: AFRICA SOUTH BIENNALE / ART AFRICA
Suzette and Brendon Bell-Roberts
+27 83 261 3147
+27 83 253 9861
