Cape Town - After a seven-month long closure, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) has reopened its doors with an exhibition to showcase artwork made by Capetonians.
The museum officially opened on October 22, with its Home Is WhereTheArt Is: Art Is WhereTheHome Is exhibit.
The exhibition boasts a display of about 2000 pieces from professional and amateur artists, children, collectors and others.
Zaid Philander, programme manager of the Butterfly Art Project based at Muizenberg’s Casa Labia, said: “When children see their work in a professional gallery space, the little artist gets to see themselves as a part of a bigger world out there. It instils pride in them, and they get a glimpse of their potential future.”
Director of the Casa Labia, Antonia Labia, said the exhibition came at a critical moment. “At a time like this, when everyone is suffering the after-effects of lockdown and Covid-19, it is particularly important for organisations that work in the arenas of art and culture to be supported wherever possible. We were delighted that Casa Labia was used as a venue for drop-offs of artworks,” said Labia.
Zeitz MOCAA executive director and chief curator KoyoKouoh said the exhibition amplified the museum’s commitment to providing access for all.
“Art is in the eye of the beholder could be the translation of Home Is Where The Art Is. With no hierarchy or selection, this is an opportunity for us to find out what art means to our audience and by the same token, attempting to find out what a museum could stand for in current times,” she said.
“As part of a re-positioning and re-articulation of the role of our institution,this exhibitionmarks a transformative shift in how Zeitz MOCAA engages with audiences andforegrounds the creativity and diversity of those in Cape Town.”
The exhibition will run until January 10.
Looking beyond the reopening exhibition, Zeitz MOCAA will also welcome shows that will focus attention on the work of individual voices.
These include Line In The Sand by Haroon Gunn-Salie which opened on October 22, Alfredo Jaar: The Rwanda Project in November, Senzeni Marasela’s Waiting for Gebane in December, and Tracey Rose’s retrospective Shooting Down Babylon in February 2021.
Cape Argus