Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg Presents Kibera Nimoja by Andrew Tshabangu

South Africa Wed 29-06-2011

Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg Presents Kibera Nimoja by Andrew Tshabangu
Press Release | Gallery MOMO

Gallery MOMO is proud to present 'Kibera Nimoja' by Andrew Tshabangu, opening Thursday 28 July 2011 from 18h30 – 20h00 and concluding 22 August 2011.

"Home", 2009. Archival print (edition of 10)

“This body of work is an exploration of interior and exterior spaces. It is a continuation of my curiosity and fascination with photographing interiors of living spaces without the physical presence of the inhabitants. I believe that these spaces for instance, one room homes in informal settlements or locations, speak volumes about the people that inhabit them," Tshabangu says.

"The arrangement of personal possessions in a room is reflective of the personality of its resident. Each room has a historical context, chronicling the lives of the people that interact daily in those spaces.

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He continues, "I chose Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, as my subject for this series of photographs because I was struck by the way its exterior spaces, though quite small, support a dense population of people. My curiosity led me to explore how the people of Kibera navigate between these rather seemingly limiting spaces.

"Mitumba", 2009. Archival print (edition of 10)

"In 2008, I was invited by the Nairobi Art Trust/Center for Contemporary Art of East Africa to conduct a one-week photography workshop that culminated in an exhibition at the National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi. While preparing for the exhibition I felt that the duration of the workshop was quite short and requested that the sponsors consider doing another session," Tshabangu says.

"They agreed and I came back for the next round of workshops in 2009. My initial visit in 2008 coincided with the end of the bloodiest politically motivated unrest Kenya had seen in a long time. At the time Kibera was not easily accessible since it had been the main location of all the violent protest."

"During my visit in 2009, I was invited to a play, a musical production titled ‘More Fire’ that dealt with issues around the political and social landscape of Kibera post 2008. After viewing this play, I was drawn even more to exploring the socio-political disposition of Kibera and its inhabitants," he says.

This exploration is a continuation of Tshabangu's travels around African cities and villages, which have taken him to Botswana, Cameroon, DRC, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal and Reunion Islands.

Tshabangu says that his aim is not to conduct comparative case studies of African cities or specifically informal settlements or hostels; rather, his interest is solely based on his curiosity about the African continent. This study of Kibera stems from his desire to continue exploring the rich socio-cultural diversity of the African continent.”

For more information on the artist Andrew Tshabangu and the 'Kibera Nimoja Exhibition', please feel free to contact;

Gallery MOMO,
# 52, 7th Avenue, Parktown North, 2193, Johannesburg.
Tel : +27 11 327 3247
E-mail : karen@gallerymomo.com
www.gallerymomo.com

Posted By: Allan Kapten

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