Museum of African Design , Johannesburg, South Africa
12 Sep 2019 - 15 Sep 2019
Natasha Becker, Londi Modiko and Lara Koseff announce the launch of the UNDERLINE show, a new annual exhibition and curatorial platform in Johannesburg, South Africa, dedicated to supporting independent voices in contemporary art. Founded by the three curators, through a combination of private and public partnerships, UNDERLINE offers curators and artists opportunities to present an exhibition within a larger curated show. The inaugural edition opens to the public 12-15 September 2019 at the Museum of African Design (MOAD) in Maboneng, with the space being generously provided by the GSA (Graduate School of Architecture) at the University of Johannesburg.
The 2019 edition pays homage to the spirit of spaces, projects, platforms, and patrons that play a vital role in supporting artists and curators who would otherwise have no access to the art world or opportunities to critically reflect on their practices and changes within the larger cultural landscape. Similarly, the 2019 UNDERLINE show seeks to highlight new artistic and curatorial practices, and discourses.
The show is comprised of twelve curated exhibitions that examine issues of uncertainty during social and political crises, power and access in cities, public interactions with archives, visual art and language; upend traditional male dominated practices; question conservative sexual politics and mythologies; and reimagine potential futures.
In addition, the show features a SITE section. Artists have been invited to create interventions within MOAD, the locale for this edition. The CONVERSATIONS is a space to share practical experience and critical engagement on the practice of curating. In the FEATURED section it will also be presented a special solo project. Full details of these special projects are to be announced in the coming weeks.
The PERFORMANCE programme this year is presented in partnership with the Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, and we will be hosting all the shortlisted 2019 candidates of their prestigious David Koloane Award.