THE 21st century has seen three c words dominate almost every part of our lives: "Made in China' ? It is this domination that has 1 prompted artist and Associate Professor in the Fine Arts Department at Rhodes University, Ruth Simbao, to put together a collection of works that discuss the China-Africa relationship, including education, economy and culture.
Essentially, by displaying works from Chinese artists (Wu Junyong, Chen Qiulin, Maleonn and Qin Ga) and their South African counterparts (Lebogang Rasethaba, Gerald Machona, Michael MacGarry and James Webb), Simbao is opening up conversations on how these two countries interact, on all levels.
In 2008, there was some notable political and social discord between black South Africans and Chinese. South Africans, as the Pretoria High Court ruled that the latter would qualify for full benefits under South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment laws. These are the sort of issues that the exhibition addresses, as it asks pertinent questions about Sinophobia and Afrophobia.
After carefully examining some of the Chinese artists' works, you cannot help but wonder if we are on the brink of yet another round of xenophobic attacks... There is no doubt that as a curator, Simbao is an academic, as her style tends to be more scholarly than creative.
Her main focus is to get her audience to critically discuss the Africa-China partnership, which, up to now, has been limited to South Africans considering China as either a messiah or as anathema. But, Making Way — Contemporary Art From South Africa And China is not all doom and gloom, as a number of the pieces concentrate on the cultural exchanges that — thankfully — bring hope to those who are concerned.
Ga's Miniature Long March is a photo of an Asian man who has a tattoo on his back, representing the military retreat by the Communist Party's Red Army, who were being pursued by the Chinese National Party's Kuomintang Army. The local artists presented stereotypical images of what South Africans think of the Chinese nation, and in doing this, they demonstrate just how limited this view really is.
As is the case when perceiving Nigerians as drug-pedalling fraudsters who are always in it for the money, it's a flawed perspective. After witnessing Simbao's exhibition, you realise just how inane such gross generalisations really are.
EXHIBITION: Making Way —Contemporary Art from South Africa And China
CURATOR: Ruth Simbao ARTISTS: Wu Junyong, James Webb, Lebogang Rasethaba
VENUE: Standard Bank Art Gallery, Simmonds and Frederick Streets, Marshalltown, until March 28
Story by: SIBUSISO MKWANAZI
Source: CITIZEN, Citi Vibe