Imaginary Fact: Contemporary South African Art and the Archive
South African Pavilion, 55th La Biennale di Venezia, 2013

The South African Department of Arts and Culture presents an exhibition entitled Imaginary Fact – Contemporary South African Art and the Archive, curated by The National Arts Festival.

During the turbulent twentieth century, art in South Africa was often a vehicle for political resistance and insurgency against human rights abuses. After the advent of democracy in 1994, artistic expression shifted towards an exploration of issues of identity, with race and gender gaining prominence. Today, contemporary South Africa is witness to a further significant change: a renewed and invigorating focus on processes of the past. The curatorial concept—artists who use materials of the past to comment on the contemporary—is poised as an assessment to show where South Africa is, and how far it has come, as the country approaches its twentieth anniversary of constitutional democracy.

Exhibition Funder South African Department of Arts and Culture
Commissioner Saul Molobi, South African Consul-General, Milan, Italy
Curating organisation National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa
Chief Executive Officer Tony Lankester
Artistic Director Ismail Mahomed
Curator Brenton Maart
Curatorial Committee Brett Bailey, Nomusa Makhubu, Jay Pather and Dominic Thorburn
Artists Joanne Bloch; Wim Botha; David Koloane; Donna Kukama; Gerhard Marx, Maja Marx and Philip Miller; Zanele Muholi; Sam Nhlengethwa; Johannes Phokela; Cameron Platter; Andrew Putter; Athi-Patra Ruga; Penny Siopis; James Webb; Sue Williamson and Nelisiwe Xaba
Logistics management and installation Bie Venter
Interns Dandridge Mahlangu, Mxolisi Mthombeni and Jayne Burden
Technical drawings Brendan Copestake

Press Release 1mb

Catalogue 7mb

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