Sethembile Msezane: Living sculptures that stand for history's truths
Сезембіл Мсезане: Живі скульптури, які відстоюють правду історії
Sethembile Msezane deconstructs the act of public commemoration -- how it creates myths, constructs histories, includes some and excludes others. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
to imagine this with me.
уявили це зі мною.
very little context,
a figment of your own imagination.
that reflect upon our society,
how a young black girl can grow up
дівчинка може вирости
and perhaps she doesn't exist.
або взагалі не існує.
позитивного бачення себе,
positive images of themselves
are negative stereotypes,
негативні стереотипи,
that the rest of society treats them.
як соціум поводиться з ними.
for about five years at the time.
of dislocation and invisibility.
дислокації та невидимості.
South Africa what it is today.
такою, як зараз.
ever as neutral as they may seem.
такими нейтральними, як видаються.
this performance in 2013 on Heritage Day.
в 2013 на Дні Спадщини.
чоловічою архітектурою,
with masculine architecture,
and Afrikaner nationalist men
колоністів та африканських націоналістів
гендерний і расовий поділ,
gender and racial divide,
the way that women --
to dominant male figures
домінуючих чоловіків
and the act of remembering
та ефективними способами.
and effective ways.
public holiday series,
як форму соціального коментаря,
as a form of social commentary
увагу до певних питань,
to certain issues,
чорної жінки
of the black female body
об’єднання в 1956 році,
to the union buildings in 1956,
з яким тепер ставляться до жінок,
of how women are treated,
на стоянці таксі"
ці діаметральні протилежності?
оголеним бюстом
against apartheid laws.
проти законів апартеїду.
що жінок бачили лише як жертв.
being seen as only victims in society.
як люди реагували на це.
how people reacted to this.
і радісно кричить)
Круто, чи не так?
my performances,
задуматись про суспільство,
reflect upon their society,
на сучасну демократію.
as well as the current democracy.
Вона була тут з 3 години.
She's been there since three o'clock.
Ще до 3. Вже понад годину?
About an hour still?
охоче долучаються до групи,
are quick to join a group
to do something as an individual.
готові щось зробити як особистості.
індивідуальне проти колективного.
versus the collective.
Так.
особисте повідомлення через виставу...
individual message in performance ...
що вона це робить сама.
that she's doing it on her own.
штучне волосся, як крила,
she's using hair extensions as wings,
there right now,
African pride, I think.
гордість, на мою думку.
represents the African culture.
відображає африканську культуру.
колоніалістські статуї.
all these colonial statues.
Мошоешое, Кваме Нкрума -
Bhambatha, Moshoeshoe, Kwame Nkrumah --
for our liberation.
Maybe in a museum; not here.
місця, де молоді люди,
places where young people,
Rhodes, all these people,
Луіса Бота, Родса, та інших,
the colonialism.
було заплановано знести,
was scheduled to be removed
за і проти його знесення
for and against its removal
до статуй Південної Африки.
in statues in South Africa.
на проблематизації
focused on problematizing
своє навчання на магістра
I had just begun my master's
of the debate of the statue,
a meeting with my supervisors,
що того дня статуя впаде.
was going to fall on that day.
коли статуя впаде.
as the statue came down.
яку вивезли із Зімвабве
that was looted from Great Zimbabwe
in Cecil John Rhodes's estate
використовуючи своє тіло,
близько 4-ох годин.
for nearly four hours.
on their phones and cameras.
про падіння Джона Сесіля Родса.
of Cecil John Rhodes.
as he became absent from his base,
коли він покинув свій пост,
виросло в Південній Африці.
has arisen in South Africa.
в одному часі і просторі
in the same space and time
духовні переконання та мрії
beliefs and dreams
felt incomplete.
була неповною.
of God and the ancestors,
посланець Бога та предків,
a little bit more,
share a common story
і Німеччина поділяють спільну історію
that were looted from Great Zimbabwe.
вивезених із Зімвабве.
were returned to the monument.
повернулись на монумент.
that there will be unrest
вірування, що тривога не мине,
about the world around me:
про світ навколо мене:
and not only see an image of myself,
і бачу не лише себе,
who have made me who I am today.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sethembile Msezane - ArtistSethembile Msezane deconstructs the act of public commemoration -- how it creates myths, constructs histories, includes some and excludes others.
Why you should listen
With masked face and powerful gestures, Sethembile Msezane disrupts and deconstructs the process of commemorative practice in South Africa, demanding space next to colonial-era statues for her country's, and her gender's, erased histories. In one iconic work, she performed at the removal of the John Cecil Rhodes statue at the University of Cape Town ("Chapungu: The Day Rhodes Fell," 2015), and starting in 2013 she performed a series of pieces called "Public Holiday" that place her body in contrast to colonial-era monuments in Cape Town's CBD.
Msezane is a ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art nominee (2017). She is the TAF & Sylt Emerging Artist Residency Award winner (2016), and she is the first recipient of the Rising Light award at the Mbokodo Awards. She is also a a Barclays L’Atelier Top 10 Finalist (2016). Her 2017 solo show at Gallery MOMO is titled "Kwasuka Sukel: Re-imagined Bodies of a (South African) '90s Born Woman", and features sculptural work that places colonial images in the context of Victorian-style furniture and dress, reframing and reclaiming a part of colonial history. She was one of the selected artists for gallery solo projects at the FNB Joburg Art Fair (2017), and her work is currently housed in the Zeitz MOCAA collection as well as Iziko South African National Gallery's collection.
Selected group shows include "Women's Work and The Art of Disruptions" at the Iziko South African National Gallery (2016), "Dis(colour)ed Margins" at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (2017), "Re[as]sisting Narratives" at Framer Framed, Amsterdam (2016), "Dance, if you want to enter my country!/ Global Citizen" at GoetheOnMain, Johannesburg (2016), "Nothing Personal" at SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, #theopening at Greatmore Studios, Cape Town (2016) and "Translations" at Emergent Art Space and Reed College, Portland, Oregon (2015).
Sethembile Msezane | Speaker | TED.com