The third in a series of art exhibitions by recent Michaelis Master of Fine Arts Graduates. By: Kira Kemper

As part of an ongoing series of solo shows by recent Masters of Fine Art Graduates, the Michaelis Galleries are delighted to host the exhibition
RE-site: Playful Sculptural Interventions, by Kira Kemper.

Using fabric as a medium, the artist has created a series of prop like sculptures and costumes that were inserted into Company’s Garden, a public space in Cape Town’s city centre. These interventions, or disruptions of the everyday, were documented and are displayed in the gallery as postcards for the public to take-away.

The sculptures and costumes are all white as they strive to mimic Colonial and Cape Dutch architectural motifs. The softening of these historically loaded architectural features has a humourous effect, which is seen throughout the documentation of these public interventions. The work in the gallery space show signs of wear-and-tear, some of the work is dirty and damaged, and remain as residues of performances. Other works encourage gallery visitor’s interaction, like “RE-lie on Me” a massive, soft Corinthian column that functions as a comfortable swing or hammock.

Kira Kemper completed her BA Fine Arts at WITS University in Johannesburg in 2010, where she first explored the idea of public space as a platform for her creative explorations. Kemper completed her Masters of Fine Arts at Michaelis Art School in Cape Town in March 2013, with distinction.