ITALY: Zimbabwean artists showcase their work at Venice Biennale, a major contemporary art exhibition in Venice, Italy

Record ID: 1532706

  • Title: ITALY: Zimbabwean artists showcase their work at Venice Biennale, a major contemporary art exhibition in Venice, Italy
  • Date: 10th June 2011
  • Summary: VENICE, ITALY (RECENT) (REUTERS) GRAND CANAL TO ST MARK'S SQUARE IN VENICE GRAND CANAL TO ST MARK'S SQUARE WITH MOORED GONDOLAS IN THE FOREGROUND THE PROW OF A GONDOLA VARIOUS OF OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ZIMBABWE PAVILION EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOREEN SIBANDA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ZIMBABWE SAYING: "If you come to this exhibition you will get a very clear idea of the variety of art that is being produced in Zimbabwe at the moment. We've got the paintings, the installation, photography and video. So it really represents the contemporary side of what we are producing." VARIOUS OF THE EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOREEN SIBANDA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ZIMBABWE SAYING: "After independence, we felt the need to be able to train the young artist in additional media such as painting, textiles photography and son on. So this has been an evolution actually for the last 20 or 30 years."
  • Embargoed: 25th June 2011 10:16
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy, Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2G1OFDSO0OYON0BKFNAJ2ZO2
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Four Zimbabwean artists are currently showcasing their art at the prestigious Venice Biennale exhibition- a major contemporary art exhibition that began on June 01 and will run up to the end of November.
    The exhibition is aimed at showcasing the latest developments in contemporary art and attracts artists from more than 88 countries around the world and an international audience of around 500,000 art-loving visitors.
    Artworks presented at the exhibition cover a range of mediums including paintings, sculpture and architecture.
    On June 3rd, Zimbabwe had its first opening at the exhibition dubbed "Seeing Ourselves", which was well received by art lovers and critics alike, and the four artists: Berry Bickle, Calvin Dondo, Misheck Masamvu and Tapfuna Gutsa did not disappoint with their art.
    "If you come to this exhibition you will get a very clear idea of the variety of art that is being produced in Zimbabwe at the moment. We've got the paintings, the installation, photography and video. So it really represents the contemporary side of what we are producing," said Doreen Sibanda, Director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, who also commissioned the exhibit.
    Sibanda says the exhibition is an opportunity for Zimbabwean artists to show their level of talent on a much bigger platform.
    "After independence, we felt the need to be able to train the young artist in additional media such as painting, textiles photography and so on. So this has been an evolution actually for the last 20 or 30 years," she said.
    Sibanda hopes that this exhibition will help to challenge any preconceived ideas of Zimbabwe and reveal more about the country.
    Renowned Zimbabwean sculptor Gutsa says that he tries to express real issues such as inequality within and between societies in his art.
    "Most of the work in the exhibition is really gritty, it's heartfelt work. Which as far as my work is concerned nobody tried to influence what I was making. I made what I wanted to make and I m ready to stand by it," Gutsa said.
    Photographer Dondo's work was one of the exhibition highlights. He explores the dynamics of mixed families.
    Dondo' work is well known in Zimbabwe and internationally.
    "I started this project, the project on adoption before Madonna adopted kids from Malawi, and my work focuses on issues of identity, citizenship, migration and love because for you to adopt you have got to have love," Dondo said.
    Young upcoming painter Masamvu whose art explores issues of social hierarchy hopes that the event will provide more interaction and exchange between Zimbabwean and international artists.
    "The recognition for Zimbabwean art is I think long overdue for a number of reasons. Because I believe the interaction in terms of the art space," Masamvu said.
    Zimbabwe has gone through political and social turmoil in the last few years, where artists in the country have endured arrests, torture or censorship when they speak out against the politics and policies of their government.
    This is the first time that Zimbabwe is featuring at the Venice Biennale exhibition, along with other new comers from the continent South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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