1 August – 1 September 2012 

Group exhibition featuring the work of Gabrielle Raaff, Lisa Firer, Katrine Claassens, Wessel Snyman, Colijn Strydom, Danni Liang, Elsabe Milandri, Fan Cheng, Sarah Pratt & Sunette Viljoen.

Curated by Katrine Claassens, Monique du Preez & Candice Jezek.

About ~ Shoes From Chinese Ships

Walking on Strand beach near Cape Town one comes across a proliferation of shoes and other plastic debris from China scattered along the high-tide mark. From the survivors of a Ming dynasty shipwreck integrating into Kenyan society, to the story of a giraffe being welcomed to China as unicorn in the early 15 th century, the history of shoreline arrivals and trade between Africa and China is a long and often mysterious one.
Taking the sea, the vehicle for the original contact between China and Africa, as a point of departure Shoes From Chinese Ships features both emerging and established Chinese and South African artists. The show is a conversation in painting, drawing, installation and sculpture between the intricate and increasingly complicated relationship between Africa and China. Interrupting the commercial import/export relationship and replacing it with an integrated one that allows for a more personal discourse with a faraway place, the exhibition includes a collaboration between some of the South African artists involved and students from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Living and working all around the world the artists explore the mystery, depth and intricacy of exchanges brought about by trade between these two countries throughout the centuries.

About ~ The Artists 

Working from China, South Africa, Germany and France the artists selected for Shoes From Chinese Ships are all of South African or Chinese nationality. The artists were selected for their visual and conceptual sensibilities, particularly the elements of nostalgia, fragility, mystery and displacement that tie their works together…

(visit the “artist’s section” to find out more about the featured artists or use this “TAG”)

Students from The China Academy

Students from The China Academy of Art are participating in collaboration with the South African artists listed above. The China Academy of Art is the most influential academy of fine arts in China with the most complete range of degree offerings and programs of study. It houses a diverse pool of artistic talent, with a focus on integrating theory and practice. Combining modern technical and cultural disciplines with traditional ones, the academy encompasses fine art, architecture, film and new media.