Tropicana Jul-Aug 2018 #119 Hot Stuff

THE HOME
into the museum and states that the art
works are “ political with every fibre of their
being, with every brush stroke.”
One of these works is to be seen in
a carefully lit room, depicting 197 red
bricks, hung at eye level and suspended
from the ceiling with a distance of 30 to 50
centimetres. Those who walk between the
bricks will notice that the path becomes
narrower and narrower as you go. It is
South African Kendell Geers’ reminder of
the anti-Apartheid fight, when activists
threw bricks from motorway bridges onto
cars of the representatives of the regime.
Another artist, whose work will be
displayed here, joins us for the tour.
34-year-old Nandipha Mntambo from
Swaziland says that “ the institution will
give Africa’s art scene a huge boost.”
Still, she does not spare criticism:
“ Not every art work is related to the
continent and its cultural heritage,”
Mntambo says, adding a dose of skepticism
about Coetzee’s laboriously highlighted
connections of the art to society.
FREEING ART WORKS FROM THE AFRICAN CLICHÉS
The brilliantly designed building itself may
provide the art works with the chance to
free themselves from the African clichés
heaped upon them over the last few years.
The museum budget of 33 million euros
was provided by the Victoria & Alfred
Waterfront, an unprecedented investment
in the African contemporary cultural scene.
But unlike in any major European museum,
you will find that a luxury hotel has been
allocated the space in the upper stories of
the building.
Nonetheless, the atrium remains
the heart and absolute masterpiece of
the museum. Its exciting architecture is
meant to eliminate the paralysing effect of
contemporary art and fulfill Zeitz’s wish
that people from all strata of society will
feel at ease here. But that is not going to be
an easy task to achieve.
Daily admission is 180 rand for adults
and free of charge for all persons under
18 years of age. While this is admittedly
cheaper than tickets to comparable
museums in Europe, it is well beyond the
daily income of most South Africans.
So, visitors with a passport from an
African nation will be granted free entry
on Wednesday mornings between
10am and 1pm and there are countless
other fre entry days listed on the website,
zeitmocaa.museum.
TM | JULY/AUGUST 2018
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