Zeitz MOCAA
I took the attached image during my visit to Zeitz MOCCA. The Artwork is called "Can You Hear Me" (2018) from the exhibition "Sula". Below is the provided description of the artwork.
"The silhouette of an anguished woman, performed by the artist, paces about, casting a shadow over a photograph of four static men. She kneels, stretches arms, clasps her hands pleading with them as though asking, Can You Hear Me, which is the title of the film. The men do not respond as she implores them. The silence of the film references the lack of dialogue around the challenging history of the 32 Battalion and countless people involved and affected by this unit.Mainly consisting of Black Angolan men, and also known as the Buffalo Battalion, the 32 Battalion was a special forces unit deployed as a buffer between the apartheid-era South African Defence Force and Southern Angola. It was formed in 1975 after Angola gained independence and was disbanded in 1993 just before South Africa entered its democratic era. The backdrop of the film is a projected photograph taken in January 1975, depicting post-Independence Angolan leaders Jonas Savimbi, Agostinho Neto, Munyua Waiyaki and Holden Roberto whose decisions from then on would dramatically shape the history of the region. In the gallery space, the shadows of passing visitors join the woman as she makes her appeals to the past. Are these figures part of the plea or are they complicit observers?This film connects the artist's personal story with national histories from southern Africa. Born to Angolan parents who fled the civil war, Uambembe was raised in the small town of Pomfret in Northwest Province, South Africa, which was home to many veterans of the 32 Battalion"
In my recent visit to the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, I was treated to an array of breathtaking exhibitions, among which the works of El Anatsu and Joel Andromeda stood out, both featured in the renowned "Africa Remix." Witnessing their art in person, beyond the confines of digital screens, was a revelation.
The exhibition, Sala, was particularly immersive, offering a rich tapestry of sensory experiences that digital representations simply cannot capture. The air hung differently here; the entire space underwent a transformation that felt almost palpable. This visit underscored a vital realization: while digital platforms offer unprecedented access to art, they fall short of replicating the vibrancy and immersive essence of experiencing art in its physical habitat.
This encounter at the Zeitz MOCAA has deepened my appreciation for the tangible aspects of art exhibitions—the texture of the air, the transformation of space, the direct engagement with art—that a static screen struggles to convey. It's a vivid reminder of the unique value that physical exhibitions hold in the art world, offering an irreplaceable depth to the experience of art that transcends digital limitations.