The Sunday News
LOCAL artiste Tafadzwa Gwetai believes his selection to be the assistant curator at the Zimbabwe Pavilion during the La Biennale di Venezia 56th International Art Exhibition will unlock immense opportunities for both himself and the country.
Gwetai will deputise Raphael Chikukwa at the Pavilion in Venice, Italy, which will feature works by three Zimbabwean artistes, Chikonzero Chazunguza, Masimba Hwati and Gareth Nyandoro.
Chikukwa is the chief curator and deputy director of the National Gallery in Harare.
Gwetai, a sculptor, painter and curator, said it was an amazing opportunity and the move gave him confidence in his abilities as a curator.
“This is an amazing opportunity and it certainly gives me confidence in my abilities as both a curator and an artiste. It is not something that I was expecting and I feel appreciated, a sign that my works are being recognised,” he said.
Gwetai will assist Chikukwa in manning and marketing the stand to visitors and promoting the concept behind the exhibition’s theme which is titled “Pixels of Ubuntu or Unhu — Exploring the Social and Cultural Identities of the 21st Century.”
According to a release by the National Gallery, the three artistes will create new artworks and multimedia installations that will transform the entirety of Santa Maria della Pieta into an authentic Zimbabwean environment. They will conceive a new complex of works, incorporating video, prints, drawings, objects and sound for the six galleries of the Zimbabwe Pavilion.
Gwetai is among the top artistes in Bulawayo and his selection confirms his growing stature as a curator.
He joins other local artistes that include National Gallery in Bulawayo director Voti Thebe, curator Clifford Zulu and artiste Rashid Jogee who have taken part in previous editions of the biennale in various capacities.
The exhibition in Venice will run from 9 May to 22 November 2015 and the local entourage is expected to leave on 6 May.
“It (biennale) is a big meeting and people from all over the world will be there. I will get the opportunity to share both ideas on art and culture and I am certain, I will get various insights into works from other artistes. Linking with art practitioners from other countries will open up a whole new world to me.
“I think the biennale is good for the country’s art as it puts us out there enabling our works to be showcased to a lot of people,” said Gwetai.
Born in Harare, Gwetai grew up in Bulawayo and had his first solo exhibition, “Blind Rise” in 2001 at the Gallery in Bulawayo.
The Venice Biennale was opened on 30 April 1895, when the first International Art exhibition was organised by the Italian King and Queen, Umberto 1 and Margherita di Savoia.
It is one of the most important international biennales and cultural institutions in the world as it introduces hundreds of thousands of visitors to exciting new art every two years. The 56th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia is this year directed by Okwui Enwezor, who is a curator, an art critic and a writer. He is also the director of the Haus der Kunst, Munich and the first African to direct the biennale.
