When one thinks of a fine art exhibition, sculptures and paintings come to mind. Gerald Machona decided to disrupt preconceptions, however, by using film, performance art, still images and hand-made objects in Vabvakure, his Masters exhibition.
When one thinks of a fine art exhibition, sculptures and paintings come to mind. Gerald Machona decided to disrupt preconceptions, however, by using film, performance art, still images and hand-made objects in Vabvakure, his Masters exhibition.
Only showing on Wednesday this week at the Settlers’ Monument Guy Butler Theatre, one wasn’t quite sure what to make of Machona’s unconventional work when a man appears on screen in what seems to be an astronaut suit. He is Ndiri Afronaut, a man in a nondescript space.
For all we know, he is actually in space.
The only thing that subtly points us towards the nature of Ndiri Afronaut’s origins is the suit he wears and the flag near him. Both of these objects made by Machona are created using gold fabric and old Zimbabwean currency.
The Afronaut finds a dying Protea flower and makes it his mission to keep it alive. As the performance progresses, we see the character venture into spaces more familiar to the audience. He interacts with the people we interact with in daily life, and appears quite oblivious to his own foreignness.
Machona manages to use a fusion of film performance and still images to reflect on the nature of Zimbabwean immigrants and the various reactions that South Africans have to them.
By placing an unfamiliar, seemingly alien character in conventional South African spaces, the exhibition captures the concept of how Zimbabwean immigrants are “othered” and alienated.
Machona also uses satire to contrast the Afronaut’s oblivion to his foreign nature and the reactions various civilians have to his appearance. The exhibition served as commentary on nationhood and, particularly, the legitimacy of South Africa’s claim to being a rainbow nation.
Uses the visual and performance arts, Vabvakure raises awareness about the misconceptions and uninformed judgements South Africans make about foreigners. The audience was allowed to interact with Machona’s objects after the film viewing, giving them the opportunity to make tangible the empathy they felt for Ndiri Afronaut.
Machona has succeeded in using art to confront Afrophobia. Audience members were able to see parts of themselves in the characters Ndiri Afronaut met, forcing them to reconsider their own ways of treating of foreign immigrants.
