'Free Spirits' at Afronova
by Robyn Sassen
The presence of a new art space in inner city Johannesburg is always something to celebrate; the presence of one that speaks of pan-Africanism and marketing astuteness, makes it feel real. Afronova, under the directorship of curator Henri Vergon and artist Billie Zangewa, raises the bar in Newtown. Its début show, entitled 'Free Spirits' comprises paintings and installations by Johannesburg-based Samson Mnisi and Gera Mawi Mazgabu from Addis Ababa. Blending colour with spiritualitye, it bodes well for the future of this young space.
Mazgabu is a professor of Rhetoric in Ethiopia. He's in his mid 60s and enjoys a complex and rich relationship with Orthodox Christianity. His work has talismanic qualities that set it apart from the purely representational or abstract. The works are beguilingly small, and in clean acrylic colours on canvas, have a phantasmagorical kaleidoscopic effect, which is dizzying in its intensity. Something like a cross between Op Art and kineticism, or the matrix of a computer game and a mystical map, in bold colours with biblical infusions, these untitled works are simply mesmerising.
Mnisi, who has exhibited extensively both locally and abroad, by contrast, enjoyed scant formal training, and after a brief stint at FUBA, took to the streets and embraced gangsterism. Mnisi, who was also a member of Umkhonto weSizwe, the military branch of the ANC, has a notion of spirituality that is complicated by both his grandmothers being nyangas (or herbalists), and by his fervent belief in the revolutionary spirit that infuses contemporary culture. His aesthetic has tended toward abstraction over the last several years, and in this show, his work manifests a simplicity and mature focus that is new.
It might seem that a combination of these two very different artists wouldn't sit comfortably, but in reality, something ineffable happens. Together, their works speak of a timeless elegance, which is clearly a part of the motivation behind the gallery's existence. The values embraced by both approaches are mutually balanced, but the effect is neither overwhelming nor threatening. The space proves itself big, bold and accommodating enough to contain these 24 pieces. The mesmerising quality of the tightly woven colourful meshes of angels and devils in Mazgabu's work resonates peacefully with the simplified modernist shapes in Mnisi's pieces, counterpoised as they are with found objects.
The blending of these two expressions of the spirit in this space directly opposite the entrance to the Market Theatre offers a gloss on the future of this area. Some months ago historical jazz club Kippies was under threat because it was deemed unsafe, and rumours were rife about its imminent closure. The rumours were duly dispersed and Kippies is currently under reconstruction as an historical monument. Vergon and Zangewa took on the space at Afronova with the understanding that the block of which it is part is scheduled to be rebuilt. Afronova as the new tenant, gives this space a crisp, clean and elegant tone. Clearly Afronova means business. Hopefully it's here to stay.
Opened: September 16
Closes: October 20
Afronova
Market Theatre Precinct, Newtown, Johannesburg
Tel: 083 726 5906
Email: afronova@tiscali.co.za
www.afronova.com
Hours: Tue - Sat 1pm - 8pm
