AN APOLOGY
Dear Readers, I have succumbed to a miserable bug and am writing in the midst of sniffing and sneezing etc. - so please excuse a rather minimal blog today.
It anyway seemed like a low-key week (apart from the high energy performances of Andrew Buckland) and I was thinking it would be a good time to take an art day and catch up on some on-going exhibitions.
ANDREW BUCKLAND AT THE BAXTER
At the Baxter a season of three one-man plays by the amazing physical theatre performer Andrew Buckland starts this week - the legendary Ugly Noo Noo, Between The Teeth (both written by the actor), and Mistero Buffo by the Nobel Prize-winning Italian theatre maker Dario Fo. The pieces alternate on different nights so it'll take quite a commitment to see them all; my first choice will be Mistero Buffo, only because I've seen the other work (though long ago.) The Fo piece "by distilling the popular and irreverent elements of medieval mystery plays, functions as a political and cultural onslaught against the repressions of religious institutions and landowning classes throughout history... The work is sophisticated yet simple, wildly physical and extremely funny."
Performance schedule for this week
Tuesday 4 The Ugly Noo Noo
Wednesday 5 The Ugly Noo Noo
Thursday 6 Between the Teeth
Friday 7 Mistero Buffo
Saturday 8 Mistero Buffo
All performances are at 20:15
OPEN DIALOGUE: CURRENT REALITIES IN ZIMBABWE
On Wednesday there's another Open Dialogue organized by the Wolpe Trust (see notes from last week's blog), this time on the subject of Current Realities in Zimbabwe. The speakers will be Ben Cousins and Tendai Murisa on "Impact of Land Reform", Brian Raftopoulos on "Political Dynamics" and Richard Saunders on "Blood Diamonds."
Wednesday 5 17h30 for 18h00
Kramer Building, Lecture Theatre 3, Middle Campus, UCT
POETRY LAUNCH: KILIMANJARO ON MY LAP
To be launched at Kalk Bay Books this week is Kilimanjaro On My Lap, a collection of poems by Rwandan writer Epiphanie Mukasano, now living with her family as a refugee in Cape Town. It is edited by wonderful poet Gabeba Baderoon who will also speak at the launch. Baderoon's own voice as a poet is evident in these words about this collection:
"In Kilimajaro on My Lap Epiphanie Mukasano has written a collection of poetry as sanctuary. The stories and images recounted here are honest in their recollection of suffering, yet do not dwell there nor seek too quick a solace. Indeed, they feel both necessary and serene. In the collection, the speakers contemplate the buffeting political forces that have displaced them and the distances they have travelled since. Even more than war, the poems reveal the breathtaking power of poverty to render people invisible."
Thursday 6 18h00 for 18h30
Kalk Bay Books, 124 Main Road, Kalk Bay
books@kalkbaybooks.co.za 021 788 2266.
AN ART TOUR IN WOODSTOCK AND THE GARDENS
David Koloane at Goodman Gallery Cape
It anyway seemed like a low-key week (apart from the high energy performances of Andrew Buckland) and I was thinking it would be a good time to take an art day and catch up on some on-going exhibitions.
ANDREW BUCKLAND AT THE BAXTER
At the Baxter a season of three one-man plays by the amazing physical theatre performer Andrew Buckland starts this week - the legendary Ugly Noo Noo, Between The Teeth (both written by the actor), and Mistero Buffo by the Nobel Prize-winning Italian theatre maker Dario Fo. The pieces alternate on different nights so it'll take quite a commitment to see them all; my first choice will be Mistero Buffo, only because I've seen the other work (though long ago.) The Fo piece "by distilling the popular and irreverent elements of medieval mystery plays, functions as a political and cultural onslaught against the repressions of religious institutions and landowning classes throughout history... The work is sophisticated yet simple, wildly physical and extremely funny."
Performance schedule for this week
Tuesday 4 The Ugly Noo Noo
Wednesday 5 The Ugly Noo Noo
Thursday 6 Between the Teeth
Friday 7 Mistero Buffo
Saturday 8 Mistero Buffo
All performances are at 20:15
OPEN DIALOGUE: CURRENT REALITIES IN ZIMBABWE
On Wednesday there's another Open Dialogue organized by the Wolpe Trust (see notes from last week's blog), this time on the subject of Current Realities in Zimbabwe. The speakers will be Ben Cousins and Tendai Murisa on "Impact of Land Reform", Brian Raftopoulos on "Political Dynamics" and Richard Saunders on "Blood Diamonds."
Wednesday 5 17h30 for 18h00
Kramer Building, Lecture Theatre 3, Middle Campus, UCT
POETRY LAUNCH: KILIMANJARO ON MY LAP
To be launched at Kalk Bay Books this week is Kilimanjaro On My Lap, a collection of poems by Rwandan writer Epiphanie Mukasano, now living with her family as a refugee in Cape Town. It is edited by wonderful poet Gabeba Baderoon who will also speak at the launch. Baderoon's own voice as a poet is evident in these words about this collection:
"In Kilimajaro on My Lap Epiphanie Mukasano has written a collection of poetry as sanctuary. The stories and images recounted here are honest in their recollection of suffering, yet do not dwell there nor seek too quick a solace. Indeed, they feel both necessary and serene. In the collection, the speakers contemplate the buffeting political forces that have displaced them and the distances they have travelled since. Even more than war, the poems reveal the breathtaking power of poverty to render people invisible."
Thursday 6 18h00 for 18h30
Kalk Bay Books, 124 Main Road, Kalk Bay
books@kalkbaybooks.co.za 021 788 2266.
AN ART TOUR IN WOODSTOCK AND THE GARDENS
David Koloane at Goodman Gallery Cape
Studies of "the friction, bustle and shifting landscape of Johannesburg's city centre" plus new work "that engages playfully with soccer frenzy sweeping the country."
29 April - 27 May
Anton Kannemeyer and Zanele Muholi at the Michael Stevenson
Anton Kannemeyer: A Dreadful Thing Is About To Occur
This exhibition explores through Kannemeyer's trademark cartoon and comic book imagery "an array of fears, misconceptions and stereotypes that polarize the debate around race in South Africa on a daily basis"
Zanele Muholi: Indawo Yami
"In 'Indawo Yami', which mean 'my place' or 'my space' Zanele Muholi continues to explore the issues around and implications of being black and queer, which have in recent weeks brought her work under the spotlight when it was denounced by the Minister of Arts and Culture as 'pornographic' and 'offensive'. In contrast the work on show offers a variety of subtle interpretations of gay culture."
22 April - 29 May
Us by Various Artists at Iziko South African National Gallery
29 April - 27 May
Anton Kannemeyer and Zanele Muholi at the Michael Stevenson
Anton Kannemeyer: A Dreadful Thing Is About To Occur
This exhibition explores through Kannemeyer's trademark cartoon and comic book imagery "an array of fears, misconceptions and stereotypes that polarize the debate around race in South Africa on a daily basis"
Zanele Muholi: Indawo Yami
"In 'Indawo Yami', which mean 'my place' or 'my space' Zanele Muholi continues to explore the issues around and implications of being black and queer, which have in recent weeks brought her work under the spotlight when it was denounced by the Minister of Arts and Culture as 'pornographic' and 'offensive'. In contrast the work on show offers a variety of subtle interpretations of gay culture."
22 April - 29 May
Us by Various Artists at Iziko South African National Gallery
"Us, curated by Bettina Malcomess and Simon Njami is a continuation of a show that took place in 2009 at Johannesburg Art Gallery. It takes as it starting point the xenophobic violence of May 2008 and focusses on the the 'twin' - that which is the same but different - as its central motif.... It also reflects on the notion of the African Contemporary itself, as well as the museum's own display of traditional and art objects....At Iziko South African National Gallery, it forms an integral part of the re-hang of the collection, 1910 to 2010: from Pierneef to Gugulective."
15 April - 15 October
Subtle Thresholds at Iziko South African Museum, extended till the end of July.
"Fritha Langerman spent over two years developing this exhibition and has combined thousands of elements - including (her own) new artworks and artefacts from the Iziko South African Museum, the University of Cape Town and the Wits Adler Museum - to examine the historic and current visual representation of disease."
Until 31 July
Enquiries: Olga Jeffries 021 481 3897 ojeffries@iziko.org.za
Subtle Thresholds at Iziko South African Museum, extended till the end of July.
"Fritha Langerman spent over two years developing this exhibition and has combined thousands of elements - including (her own) new artworks and artefacts from the Iziko South African Museum, the University of Cape Town and the Wits Adler Museum - to examine the historic and current visual representation of disease."
Until 31 July
Enquiries: Olga Jeffries 021 481 3897 ojeffries@iziko.org.za
