Proposal:
Between Life & Death (BLD) Collective presents the “Alternative Narratives Of Soweto” photographic exhibition.
Between Life & Death is a collective of young emerging artists (Sanele Moya, Nkosinathi Khumalo, Tebogo Moche, Nathi Khumalo, Themba Mbuyisa and Moss Moeng). We are dedicated to using the photography medium and multimedia to think critically about our environment and identities.
Our objective is to use photography to refract single minded ideas about the spaces we come from, ideas that are informed by past narratives.
Our aim is utilize different opportunities in order to broaden and have people from our communities from Soweto to engage with the work.
Our aim is to provide black narratives from black perspectives, our collective aims to challenge conventional structures within the South African Art industry.
Biography:
Nkosinathi Khumalo
Biography
Nkosinathi Khumalo is a South African born contemporary photographer from Soweto, Gauteng. He matriculated in 2008 at St Martin de
Pores High school. He started to photograph as a self-taught photographer.
In late 2014, he was the first-prizewinner of the ‘Transformation Art Project’ hosted by Mashumi Arts Projects, together with German
engineering company based in South African called Reinhausen SA which funded the competition.
Just last year he completed his Advanced Programme in Photography at the Market Photo Workshop. He has also
been featured in various group exhibitions such as the June 16 VIP Youth Fest exhibition (2015) hosted by Live Mag curated by Kalashnikovv
Gallery. The New Voices IV (2015) at Loizamore And Associates. He is currently on of the the top 6 finalists for the SA Taxi Foundation Awards (2016) showcased at Lizamore and Associates gallery. His latest exhibition titled: “What Does It Mean?” (2016) showcased at Goethe On Main
cohosted by Themba Mbuyisa in partnership with The Goethe Institute Johannesburg.
Themba Mbuyisa
Biography
Themba Mbuyisa was born on 28 June 1992, in Johannesburg, South Africa. He studied the Advanced Programme in Photography completed in 2015 at the Market Photo Workshop where he also completed the Foundation and Intermediate Courses in Photography. Having previously studied Intro into Desktop Publishing and Design at Vega School in 2013 and BSc Mathematical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand since 2010, Mbuyisa has since been interested in the concept in Photography.
A recipient of the Gauteng Province Youth and Service Award 2016, Mbuyisa is also the current ELLE Magazine Style Reporter and part of the Mail and Guardian 200 young South Africans to watch 2016 list. In March 2015, he received a 3rd place National Award from the World Photography Organisation at the Sony Photography awards. In May 2014, Mbuyisa participated in the Rural.Scapes – Arts Residency in São Paulo, Brazil. Mbuyisa was shortlisted for the 2014 Gisèle Wulfsohn Mentorship in Photography and also became a finalist in the 2015 Ariano International Film Festival, in Italy.
Themba Mbuyisa has particited exhibitions at London, twice in Brazil, Sao Paulo and multiple of times in South Africa.
Web site: http://www.bldcollective.tumblr.com |
WORKS:
-
- 004
Size: H:124 W:8 D: Edition: 5 Price: R11000
Size: H:60 W:87 D: Edition: 4 Price: R9500
Size: H:40 W:60 D: Edition: 5 Price: R8000
Size: H:30 W:87 D: Edition: 5 Price: R6500
Size: H:41 W:119 D: Edition: 5 Price: R8500
Size: H:23 W:56 D: Edition: 5 Price: R4500
Size: H:23 W:56 D: Edition: 5 Price: R4500
Size: H:30 W:43 D: Edition: 5 Price: R4500
Size: H:52 W:37 D: Edition: 5 Price: R6000
Size: H:230 W:320 D: Edition: 6 Price: R3500
Size: H:230 W:320 D: Edition: 6 Price: R3200
Size: H:230 W:320 D: Edition: 6 Price: R3000
Size: H:230 W:320 D: Edition: 6 Price: R3500
Size: H:550 W:550 D: Edition: 6 Price: R7000
Size: H:550 W:550 D: Edition: 6 Price: R7000
Size: H:550 W:55 D: Edition: 6 Price: R7000
When I was young I used to imagine fish as birds that flew underwater. I mean both the sea and the sky are blue, a human can’t breathe underwater and well… A fish can’t breathe above water.
Mammals such as the Killer Whale or Orca seem to redefine nature as they breathe air but live underwater. We humans have been trying to redefine nature or alter it into our own design, a design that has continued to endanger our co-inhabitants on this planet.
For this video piece I decided to use ‘found’ archives as well as footage I took of an Air show. The footage of the Orca is filmed inside a zoo, taken out of the wild by its captors. Who would probably say they ‘found’ the Killer Whale in wild.
The decision to combine the footage together was motivated by how an animal as wise and social such as the Orca is put into this ARTIFICIAL tank alone and with little room to move. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas.
Humans can’t physically fly and yet we invented this ARTIFICIAL bird that makes it possible for us to experience “tank-less” freedoms around the world.
The Whale is filmed on a square format, and the Air Show is filmed on a wider format. The scale of the ARCO (inside the frame) is more predominant than the scale of the aircraft. The sky has more than enough space for us. So reducing an animal’s movement from being able to travel around the globe to just a cubicle that is just a few feet wide. Isn’t that what we humans call a jail?! A place were we detain other humans who we deem to have done wrong doings to society. So what has this beautiful intelligent highly social creature done?! We keep them in captivity so for our entertainment. Animal life is not for human entertainment.
Zoos might have had a place in society historically, when they were used to observe and study these exotic animals. Although today, Zoos are irrelevant in our human society. As were Human Zoos in Europe, places like Brussels in Belgium throughout the 1950 to as recent as the early 90’s Native Americans, Indians and Black Africans were displayed as exhibit.