At last! An international contemporary African art conference that actually happens in Africa
CAPE launches its first biennial cycle with SESSIONS Ekapa, an international art meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa on 4-6 December 2005.
SESSIONS eKAPA 2005
The Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town
Mega-exhibitions from Magiciens de la Terre through to Africa Remix have certainly thrown the spotlight on African cultural practice. But after the spotlight has faded what then?
Susan Glanville-Zini, CAPE CEO
CAPE is a biennial cultural project that is not just another biennale. CAPE is specifically designed to confront the centre-first, fly-in-fly-out model of previous mega-exhibitions. It is based in Cape Town and addresses the needs of its African context.
CAPE intiates its 2005/2006 cycle with SESSIONS eKAPA, an international art meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa on 4-6 December 2005. This will be followed by CAPEs 2006 manifestation, a mega-mega multidisciplinary art event, grounded in Africa and open to the world.
The theme of SESSIONS eKAPA 2005 is “Mzantsi: (Re)Locating Contemporary African Art Practice”. It is devoted to conversations around art practice in the south of Africa, exploring specifically the interface between local art practices and the international art circuit.
Discussions investigate the problems and potentialities of the exhibition as art practice in Africa, alternative models of large scale curation, and dangerous liaisons between artists, curators and institutions. Art and activism comes under the spotlight, as do African forums for emerging voices and new models for networking the continent.
Speakers are drawn from South Africa, Africa, and further afield; and include cultural practitioners from various disciplines, activists and thinkers from diverse networks and forums. Watch out for acclaimed theorist Achille Mbembe, writer and curator Olu Oguibe, curator, administrator and educator Gavin Jantjes, cultural provocateur Kendell Geers and artist Tracey Rose. Also in the mix are Triennal de Luanda’s Fernando Alvim, Documenta 12′s Ruth Noack, word bomber Lesego Rampolokeng, Pan African Circle of Artists’ Chukwuezugolum Krydz Ikwuemesi and more.
In addition to panel discussions, SESSIONS eKAPA features an interactive excursion into Cape Towns public and intimate topographies. Fresh curatorial and critical voices will convene six minilaboratories, using site, route and experience to provoke conversations about art practice and locality.
Seats for SESSIONS eKAPA 2005 are limited. For programme and further details, visit www.capeafrica.org. Travel packages including accommodation are available. For more information on travelling to SESSIONS eKAPA and to register, contact the conference secretariat, Kashief Gamieldien, at kashief@tribalco.co.za or 27 (0) 21 697 0180.
