The natural world has always been a source of inspiration for artists. Today, there are a number of artists and designers who seek to investigate our human relationship with the environment by embedding their creative practice within it. This changes the way we think about the sites of production; rather than the studio being the sole location in which to create, these practitioners engage the natural world in a much more active and immediate way, either by interacting with the natural environment in new ways or by bringing natural materials into new settings. This panel discussed creative ecologies and curatorial practices that encompass both historical approaches to nature in art and more recent ecologically and socio-politically motivated work, as well as how artists and designers are inspired by the natural environment and, in turn, shape the environment around them.

MODERATOR:

Olivia Barrell (Founder, Art Formes)

PANELLISTS:

Tuli Mekondjo (Artist, Namibia)

Andile Dyalvane (Ceramic Artist/ Creative Director/Co-Founder, South Africa)

Heath Nash (Founder/Director, Our Workshop)

Marco Scotini (Artistic Director, FM Center for Contemporary Art, Milan/Head of the Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies Department, NABA, Rome/Milan)

ASHRAF JAMAL IN CONVERSATION WITH THANIA PETERSEN AND BILLIE ZANGEWA

The body is central to the work of Thania Petersen and Billie Zangewa, an artistic tool offered as a canvas to challenge and deconstruct conventions governing women of colour. Throughout her work—which comprises photographic ‘self-portraits’, installation, multi-sensory based performance art, and video—Petersen is a central figure, adopting a diversity of theatrical personas to reflect on her personal and historical identities. Her reference points include her deeply rooted Cape Malay heritage and the legend and myths of Sufi Islamic religious ceremonies. Best known for hand-stitched tapestries of raw silk, Zangewa creates figurative compositions that challenge the historical objectification and exploitation of the Black female form. Since the birth of her son, she has focused increasingly on representations of herself in domestic space, depicting the work done by women that is is often undervalued or ignored. In conversation with Ashraf Jamal, Petersen and Zangewa reflect on the intersections of autobiography and self-representation in their work and how they shift narratives about race, gender roles, and identity.

MODERATOR:

Ashraf Jamal (Academic/Writer/Cultural Theorist, South Africa)

PANELLISTS:

Thania Petersen (Artist, South Africa)

Billie Zangewa (Artist, Malawi/South Africa)

NFTs grew wildly in popularity throughout 2020 and 2021, with art collections worth millions being sold as digital JPEGs and top fashion labels releasing virtual wearables. In February 2021, Christie’s launched an online auction of an NFT-based digital artwork by the artist, Beeple (known as Mike Winkelmann), with no estimate and an opening price of $100. The work ultimately sold for an astonishing $69.3 million, setting an all-time record for a digital artwork and making Beeple the third-most-expensive living artist at auction. But what do we actually know about NFTs? What are they? How do they work? And are we moving towards a fully digitized art world? This panel will address some of the most frequently asked questions about NFTs, while also exploring their impact on the artists that make them, digital art as investment, and the art market at large.

MODERATOR:

Shiran Ben Abderrazak (Executive Director, Rambourg Foundation)

PANELLISTS:

Alex Coetzee (Artist/Co-Founder, The PLOT Gallery)

PR$DNT HONEY aka Rendani Nemakhavhani (Illustrator/Artist, South Africa).