Africa-Press – Namibia. THE work of six Namibian artists will be proudly on display at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (Ictaf).
The NJE Collective and The Project Room are collaborating on co-curating collections by Foibe Amundaba, Lynette Musukubili, Michelle Isaak, Rudolf Seibeb, Jo Rogge and Tangeni Kauzuu.
Exhibiting as part of the cultural/platforms section of the event, the artists will have 30 pieces on show at Africa’s largest contemporary art fair. The occasion boasts over 107 exhibitors and 22 000 visitors, and is celebrated as a platform for artists, collectors, galleries and journalists from around the world to engage in.
“Artists were selected on the basis of their potential for growth, commitment and work ethic.
“There is a strong focus on the use of non-traditional art-making materials with the inclusion of the work of Michelle Isaak and Lynette Musukubili,” says NJE Collective’s Jo Rogge.
“The NJE Collective will also present a spoken-word performance by Tangeni Kauzuu as part of the VIP programme at the fair.
“New work by Rudolf Seibeb, Jo Rogge and Foibe Amundaba will also be shown.”
The NJE Collective has been committed to developing, supporting and mentoring Namibian women artists since 2016, and has participated in Ictaf since 2018.
This year the collective has joined forces with The Project Room to share the burden of logistics, administration and costs while getting the selected artists exhibition-ready.
“This will be The Project Room’s first-ever art fair participation in South Africa,” says The Project Room’s Frieda Lühl.
“A platform like the Ictaf is known to start careers, to get artists discovered, to connect them with a bigger art scene, to inspire them and to offer opportunities,” she says.
“I hope the artists – especially the ones joining us at the fair – experience this.” Michelle Isaak and Rudolf Seibeb will accompany Lühl to the Ictaf with the support of the National Arts Council of Namibia.
“This is the first outing for the selected artists to an exhibition of this magnitude, and outside of Namibia,” says Lühl.
“It represents an opportunity to not only show their work, but also to experience the electric atmosphere of the fair,” she says.
“The generous support of the National Arts Council of Namibia has enabled us to bring the artists to the fair in person, which in the past has proven to be a game changer for the artists, personally, creatively and professionally.”
The artists’ inclusion at the fair will also offer a valuable opportunity for international appraisal. “Most importantly it places these young artists in a position to receive much-needed critique of their work and to have a sense of how they measure against their peers from South Africa and the rest of the continent,” says Rogge.
The artists will be exhibiting alongside such prestigious institutions as the Norval Foundation, Zeitz MOCAA and the A4Arts Foundation. “The expectation is that our artists will show work of an exceptionally high standard to match these illustrious institutions,” Rogge says. The Investec Cape Town Art Fair will take place from 18 to 20 February.
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