How Come, is an exhibition confronting the current prevalent issues of shared phobias. Inspired by the song, How Come by Youssou N’dour, the exhibition will respond to common yet undesirable questions and situations that many people find themselves in. Questions are simple to ask yet the answers are hard to come by.
HowCome I am poor, HowCome I am single, HowCome I am sad, HowCome I have no child, HowCome we lost, HowCome they lie.
How come also is also sends a direct appeal to the future from the time preceding major political and economic shifts that Zimbabweans find themselves in. The exhibitions in Bulawayo continues to provide a coherent role that the arts play to the present. Like the song, it continues to seek the desire for a ‘liberator’. It explores the economic potential of learning to question knowledge systems inspired by historical narratives that contribute to the current political and economic situation where we endeavour to be as a people. We continue to be interested in different alignments of knowledge and power that enable contradictions and complications.
With this in mind;
Submissions can be made by any artist practicing in Zimbabwean. Submitted artworks may fall into a wide range of genres associated with art and design these include painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, video, performance, design, craft, sound and any new media. Submissions must reach the National Gallery in Bulawayo on 25 May 2019. The Curator will do studio visits between 25 and 27 to those that would have submitted. Entry forms will be emailed
Exhibition will be held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, one of the largest and most beautiful spaces for contemporary art in the country, the preview will be on Friday 31 May at 1730hrs and run until 21 June 2019
For additional information, please contact Cliford Zulu,
PENNY SIOPIS Siopis was born in Vryburg, South Africa, and lives in Cape Town. She has an MFA (1976) and an Honorary Doctorate (2017) from Rhodes University, Grahamstown. Siopis is currently an Honorary Professor at Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town. She works in painting, film/video, photography and installation. Her work since the early 1980s has covered different foci but her interest in what she calls the ‘poetics of vulnerability’ characterises all her explorations, from her earlier engagements with history, memory and migration to her later concerns with shame, violence and sexuality. You can find more information and CV here
About the Curator:.
Olga Speakes,
Recent Relevant Work Experience
2018 Guest lecturer in Art History and Discourse of Art, Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town. 2015-2016 Co-curator, with Ernestine White, Women’s Work: crafting stories, subverting narratives exhibition at Iziko South African National Gallery (worked on all aspects of the curatorial process). 2014-2017 Tutor in Art History and Discourse, Michaelis School of Fine Art, UCT. 2015 Curator for “and/or”, Masters in Fine Art 2015 Graduate Exhibition at the Michaelis Galleries, UCT. 2014 Volunteer Assistant Curator for Penny Siopis Retrospective Exhibition at Iziko South African National Gallery. 2014 Volunteer Intern at Iziko South African National Gallery (African Art Collection, Contemporary Art Collection). 2013 Intern Curator. Sanlam Art Gallery and Sanlam Art Collection. As part of a group of four intern curators she conceptualised and organised a performance art intervention at Sanlam offices and a Restructuring Encounters exhibition at Sanlam Art Galley. She was also actively involved in all aspects of the exhibition catalogue production (conceptualising, planning, essay writing, liaising with contributors, editing, copy-editing).
“This is the exhibition project that I have been working on since the end of last year. It is one of those that takes you where you never thought you would go, meandering your way through texts, histories, memories, places; meeting incredible people and allowing the story to unfold. Traveling across borders is still not easy but if any of you are able to join us for the opening at the National Gallery in Bulawayo, it would be amazing” Olga Speakes.
Penny will also conduct a workshop with invited artists.
For more details about the residency and the exhibition please do not hesitate to contact the Curatorial team at the gallery email: c.zulu@nationalgallery.co.zw