Historical Glitch – Group Show

Historical Glitch explores the social and political dimensions of remembrance and amnesia through a series of live art events taking place over the month of July.

Remembrance is understood as an emancipatory practice, setting up counter memories through art that challenge the history of colonialism, apartheid and homophobia, and facilitating commemoration and recognition of black lived experience and queer identities. Following on scholar Kodwo Eshun, remembrance is a form of resistance to the dominant historical narrative, which has preferred European and heteronormative voices.

To highlight creative practices that initiate remembrance, Historical Glitch will also explore the inverse: the collective amnesia of black and queer voices in the South African archive and contemporary life, a failure to remember events, acts or peoples that have not been advantageous or useful to those in power. Taking as its basis scholar Russell Jacoby’s concept of social amnesia as a conscious erasure of voices, an intentional forgetting, this exhibition seeks to develop a framework for creative practices that investigate and challenge erasure.

Within the context of South Africa’s violent history of colonialism and apartheid, Historical Glitch brings together black and queer musicians, poets and vogue artists who use body, language and touch to explore the complex relationship between amnesia and remembrance in the creation of emancipatory practices.

Curated by Khanyisile Mbongwa.

Histrical Glitch: The Poets Are Coming 7 July 2018 | 13:00-15:00

Seven poets will be performing in a synchronized loop that moves through Norval Foundation’s galleries on the ground and first floors. The poets will be in dialog with the audiences, who will be acting as their witnesses.

The performance is free with museum admission, which costs R140.

Artists: Ashley Makue, Allison-Claire Hoskins, Linda Kaoma, Faith Kinniar, Phelisa Sikwata and HyeJin Kim

Transport: Transportation to be offered at a subsidized rate of R 50 return from Cape Town Central Train Station.

Historical Glitch: Indigenous 14 July 2018 | 13:00-15:00

Historical Glitch: Indigenous will include a talk by musicologist and University of Stellenbosch lecturer Ncebakazi Mnukwana on the role of indigenous African musical instruments as a form of knowledge creation and distribution.

Mnukwana’s talk will be accompanied by a performance by mam’Madonsini, the ‘Queen of uHadi’. The uHadi is a traditional Xhosa musical instrument with a large bow that has historically been used in important ceremonies, such as weddings and rights of passage.

The performance is free with museum admission, which costs R140.

Artist: mam’Madonsini, the ‘Queen of uHadi’

Transport: Transportation to be offered at a subsidized rate of R 50 return from Cape Town Central Train Station.

Historical Glitch: Doing it for Vogue 28 July 2018 | 13:00-15:00

A layered, multisensory experience that features four artists vogueing using multiple vogue styles. Simultaneously a form of cultural and creative expression as well as a way of life, voguing is understood as a form of resistance for black and queer peoples. It comes out of the Harlem Ballroom Scene of the 1960s. Doing it for Vogue will flirt with the notion of the rainbow nation from a queer perspective.

The performance is free with museum admission, which costs R140.

Artists: Queezy, Mziyanda-Parasite Hilton, Daniel Walton-Nicole Bitchie and Mx. Cheshire

Transport: Transportation to be offered at a subsidized rate of R 50 return from Cape Town Central Train Station.

Norval Foundation
Gallery 1-9, Sculpture Garden
1 Ou Kaapse Road
C/O Steenberg Road
Opposite US Embassy
Tokai, Cape Town
7945

South Africa

www.norvalfoundation.org