Jane Alexander's installation is considered one of her most significant works alongside "Butcher Boys," which directly addressed abuses of power and torture during the apartheid era. While "African Adventure" also reflects elements of South Africa's post-apartheid experience, the artist's themes and techniques touch on globally pervasive issues like segregation, economic disparities, migration, discrimination, and conflict.
"African Adventure" is an installation artwork by South African artist Jane Alexander, created between 1999 and 2002. The installation features thirteen individually titled figures arranged on a large rectangular area covered in red Bushmanland earth, measuring approximately eight by five meters.
The central figure, named Pangaman, is a life-size male sculpture made from oil-painted Hydrostone. Pangaman is dressed in found overalls and underwear, with a South African-made machete in hand, and various agricultural tools and instruments tied to his waist with shoelaces. This figure is positioned facing away from the entrance, setting a tone of introspection or exclusion.
Other figures in the installation include anthropomorphic characters such as Harbinger, which features a human body with a monkey face, and a small seated female figure titled Girl with Gold and Diamonds, adorned in a Victorian silk christening dress and a synthetic clay mask. The installation also includes three small male figures, titled Radiance of Faith, dressed in custom-made woollen suits with their faces obscured to resemble different animals.
The tableau further consists of a mix of human and animal-like forms, such as Doll with Industrial Strength Gloves, Settler, Young Man, Ibis, Beast, and Dog, each with distinct characteristics and placements within the space. At the far end of the installation, an oil-painted synthetic clay figure named Custodian sits on a wood and steel perch, overseeing the scene.
"African Adventure" explores themes such as colonialism, identity, democracy, and the lingering effects of apartheid in post-apartheid South Africa. The hybrid characters, blending human and animal traits, evoke a sense of both monstrosity and beauty, commenting on human failure and the fragile nature of society. Alexander's use of mixed forms and symbolic attire reflects the complexities of historical and contemporary African narratives, inviting viewers to engage with the deeper meanings behind the installation's unsettling yet captivating figures.
