GIPCA partners with ITC to present works that embrace interdisciplinarity whilst engaging with public spaces. The works emerge from the University of Cape Town’s performing arts departments and Donald Gordon Creative Arts Fellows, as well as commissioned pieces that look at public space engagement in compelling ways. These commissioned pieces include a collaboration between Johannesburg based artists Sello Pesa and Vaughn Sadie, and Athi-Patra Ruga’s site-specific Ilulwane, which recently premiered at New York’s Performa Festival. To round off this engagement between GIPCA and ITC, GIPCA will host a one-day conference interrogating Public Art Policy, in collaboration with the Africa Centre and Creative Cape Town.
Through the week, musicians will ignite public spaces with sound. Playing off the traditional flash mob idea, the renowned UCT choir makes its presence known in various spaces; and a grand piano, resting on the gleaming white tiles of the Station concourse, is the site of a performance by Donald Gordon Fellow Justin Krawitz of the world premiere of a composition by celebrated composer Hendrik Hofmeyr.
Performed by students from the UCT Opera School, excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, inspired by director Matthew Wild’s 2011 production, are re-imagined as a promenade event in a series of sites across the CBD. With musical direction by Kamal Khan, this tale of urban moral corruption finds fresh resonances for Stravinsky’s neoclassical score, as his witty take on 18th Century London collides with contemporary Cape Town.
teka munyika, a collaboration between conceptual artist Vaughn Sadie and choreographer Sello Pesa, looks at everyday movements of the body performed in public space and how these are impacted by space and the elements that constitute it – light, architecture, material and surface. The work is performed by Sello Pesa, Brian Mtembu, Humphrey Maleka and Murray Kruger, at Prestwich Place.
The Long Street Baths are bathed in red light at night, with synchronised swimmers performing alongside performance artist Athi-Patra Ruga. Accompanied by an operatic noise soundtrack composed by Spoek Mathambo and Ruga, Ilulwane, explores modern definitions of masculinity, masquerade, identity and sexuality. Ilulwane is presented in association with Whatiftheworld Gallery.
Medicine comes under the microscope when a debilitating illness pitches the critical personal responsibility to sustain health of mind, body and spirit against the fallibility of medical experts. Celia’s Story is the cinematic debut of Donald Gordon Fellow Ruth Levin-Vorster.
Monologues, movements, music, spoken text, dance sequences and visuals are re-used, re-cycled, and re-visited by their original performers, to create a new narrative which speaks to our common difficulties in building a home. Directed by another Donald Gordon Fellow, Sanjin Muftic, Bricolage is on the culmination of his year long experiments with performance sampling.
The challenges of urbanisation and the development of cities have both inspired and disillusioned public artists. In an effort to answer some of the questions arising, about the use of public space and artistic practice; GIPCA, the Africa Centre and Creative Cape Town will host a one-day discussion that addresses public art policy as it exists internationally and nationally.
GIPCA at Infecting the City programme available for download.
For full Infecting the City programme, visit http://www.infectingthecity.com/2012/downloads/ITC_2012_Full_Programme.pdf
Public Art Policy discussion audio recording available for download.
Infecting the City video recordings
Start: 6 Mar ’12
End: 10 Mar ’12
Cost: Free
Category: Discussion, Film, Music, Performance, Public Art
Organizer: GIPCA
Email: fin-gipca@uct.ac.za
Venue: Various venues throughout the city
Phone: +27 21 480 7156