Bubblegum Club

Tag: collaboration

  • FNB JHB Art Fair // the Culture of Capitalism and Complexities of Autonomy

    Clinks of champagne glasses and soft murmurs reverberated around the lofty sky-matrix of steel beams and prefabricated walls. The tenth annual edition of the FNB Joburg Art Fair, located in the aspirational opulence of the ever expanding Sandton central business district, boasted over 60 exhibitors from 12 countries across Africa, Europe and the US. The three-day event held an extensive array of public programming.

    On entering the space, a large panel displayed the 25 partners and sponsors of the Art Fair. Patronage has always influenced the economics of art. Historically art was supported by the likes of kings, popes, the wealthy class and other institutions. In the contemporary moment, it appears that commercial brands have adopted a similar strategy.

    In the centre of the labyrinth exhibition of the Art Fair was the Cartier Lounge, the FNB private wealth lounge and Esther Mahlangu’s display presented by BMW. These particular brands positioned their relevance at the Art Fair under the auspice of collaboration. Collaboration can take a multitude of forms within artistic practice. However, more important is to consider the level of reciprocity this kind of trade really entails – as with all forms of patronage. One hopes that artists are always one of the beneficiaries of the cultural capital they produce.

    As typically the nature of Art Fairs, there was too much to see. However, some personal highlights included the clambering figures embodying the fierce flame of Lady Skollie’s exhibition Fire with Fire. “This is my opportunity for collective catharsis, ‘Fire with Fire’. A divine interpretation of grief, so bright, so gory, that we cannot and will not look away. Let us be cleansed with fire. Let us not light candles in remembrance. I’m done with being remembered. Instead, I see a burning phallus, melting, bubbling, its demise signalling our own rebirth.”

     

    Another of the affecting exhibits was FORTIA by storyteller and digital artist Keyezua. The series of red-robed woman clad in beautifully articulated masks – constructed from recycled matter to articulate identity beyond anonymity.  The series utilises, “a female body to portrait the stories told by Keyezua, a daughter of a disabled man through the hands of a group of disabled men that are alienated in their own society. The project is based on personal experiences that explore sorrow.”

    Both of these artists channel a personal narrative and interesting mode of storytelling to visually articulate their process of catharsis and agency.

  • Lightfarm // Creating a Culture of Collaboration in the Print Studio

    Autumnal light cascades through the intersecting branches of a small avenue of plane trees. The occasional hoot peppers the ambient buzzing soundscape of Braamfontein. Adjacent, buildings are covered in corrugated shadow. Tucked away –  just off Henri Street – a concrete and steel structure houses Lightfarm: a fine arts and photographic print studio.

    The space is filled with machines, occasionally making quirky beeps or sprouting reams of paper. Andreas Vlachakis and Amichai Tahor started the business in late 2007 – initially working with up-coming artists. A decade later, these artists have grown and so has Lightfarm.  The likes of Zanele Muholi, Ayana Jackson, Paul Shiakallis and Mary Sibande have worked with the studio from the outset.

    Ayana Jackson, ‘Wild as the Wind’, 2015

    The studio positions itself as a space of production. However, this is not limited to the technical element of printing. Andreas and Amichai resonate with the notion of the print studio embodying collaboration. This is the heart of their focus. Their partnership relies on this kind of dynamism and fluidity.

    Both Andreas and Amichai draw on different backgrounds. Andreas comes from a photographic tradition of photojournalism, having worked for many years at the Star. Whereas, Amichai comes from a fine arts background and focuses on interdisciplinary projects. They jest that if a client doesn’t like the one, they are bound to like the other. Through their combined experience they draw on an incredible history and wealth of knowledge – one that translates through a spectrum of projects.

    The democratisation of the camera – through the accessibility of digital photography and phone cameras – has revolutionised the space of photography and modes of archiving through documentation. Andreas and Amichai pivot their practice on the mastery of when the digital is manifest in physical and tangible space. They’re intrigued to see how this eruption in accessible images alters cultural production, especially in relation to the youth.

    Benjamin Skinner, ‘White 003’, 2015

     

    Mary Sibande, ‘The Admiration of the Purple Figure’, 2013

     

    Paul Shiakallis, ‘Vicky’, 2014

     

    Andile Buka

     

    Gary Stephens

  • Spoek Mathambo – Mzansi Beat Code

    Spoek Mathambo’s fifth solo album, ‘Mzansi Beat Code’, is both a culmination of years spent trying to find his own voice and sound, as well as a celebration of collaboration. Of the thirteen tracks on the album only two feature Spoek on his own. “Music right now is a bit more individualistic in an egotistical sense. I think some of the best music that I’ve enjoyed from the last hundred years is always based on a group. Be it how amazing hip hop releases are, they’re always collaborations. To the great rock, jazz, punk, funk it’s all based on really great groups. So for me it’s natural.” By collaborating with others he is able to tap into human skills that he or a machine does not posses, “I can reach them the best not through MIDI but through a human being who’s got their own rich concept based on a lifetime of playing that instrument”.

    Rather than curating the sounds of South Africa, Spoek takes elements from the diverse sound spectrum and reinterprets them through his own lens, hence the name ‘Mzansi Beat Code’. “They’re ideas, concepts, codes, ways of doing things, but for the most part I’m deconstructing it and reconstructing it in a different way.”

    While the album is Spoek’s solo production he does not view his role as that of a conductor leading an orchestra. “It’s lowkey just friendships and chill sessions for the most part. Demos that we share and just playing around and experimenting with some friends and some strangers that have become friends.” Still the album has Spoek’s energy. “I guess because I’m there from the beginning up until the end it leans towards what I want out of it.”

    When asked if he sees himself as a rapper or producer first his answer is unequivocal. “I really hate rapping right now. I see myself as a beatmaker at the beginning of their career.  I see myself as a producer.” From his Future Sound of Mzansi Mixes to the documentary of the same title and Fantasma’s ‘Free Love’ there is a clear path that leads to the release of ‘Mzansi Beat Code’. “It has taken me a long time to get to this point. It has taken me a really long time to get this ability of putting things together. I’ve been doing things since 2006, even before that with different stuff, trying to articulate certain ideas and just not having the required skill set . So this is the first project, well I’d say Fantasma ‘Free Love’ is the first project where things came together”.

    By deconstructing and rebuilding the ‘Beat Codes’ of South Africa, Spoek is creating a sound and aesthetic that is familiarly South African but excitingly innovative.

  • Dirty Dancing: Spoko and Aguayo Release First Single off Upcoming EP

    Conjured from smoke fumes, long nights, and worn-out feet, DJ Spoko and Matias Aguayo will be dropping a new EP on February 28th, titled Dirty Dancing. The music tastes of Southern Hemisphere fusions: the sweet velvet wallpaper lining Johannesburg’s Kitchener’s bar; the steam of a Cómeme night in Medellin, Cologne or Buenos Aires; the multi-rhythmic tongues of Tshwane’s Atteridgeville. All these timbers travelling to meet, somewhere after dark, in a dimly-lit studio.

    Dirty Dancing will be released under the label, Cómeme: their first Johannebsurg recording project. Founded in 2009 by Chilean-German, Matias Aguayo, the label describes itself as a ‘collective fantasy’, drawing together an assemblage of sonic misfits, working on the frayed edges of musical genre and expectation. Its experimental artists weave sounds from London to Cologne, Santiago de Chile to Buenos Aires, Mexico City to Moscow. And now Johannesburg.

    Cómeme  has been in an ongoing auditory dialogue with Johannesburg’s electronic music scene. Tracks like  Pata pata and  El Sucu Tucu are laced with South African beat-making and lyrical contortionism. Meanwhile, Cómeme tracks have also animated some of Johannesburg’s most vibrant dancefloors.

    DJ Spoko has been at the centre of Cómeme’s love affair with Gauteng. Partner of DJ Mujava, he wrote and produced the dancefloor anthem ‘Township Funk’. Propelled by the groove, Township Funk fused dark sultry base with a vexing hook — the twisted, teasing funk of your ninetees dialup tone. Founder of Bacardi House, DJ Spoko says his music has had one purpose only: to make people dance, to make them sweat. His production, a tribute to life, was spawned in Atteridgeville Pretoria, where he lived with his father, alongside a grave site. In the late 90s, cue marshals at the taxi rank helped disseminate Bacardi House through the province’s mobile sound systems.

    It’s no wonder that the final track on the new EP is titled Taxi Rank Closing, inspired by the rev and reverberation of South Africa’s informal music promoters. The EP includes collaborations with Elbee Bad and Moonchild, and is crafted unapologetically for the dancefloor. Each track — Dirty Dancing, Ghost of Dombolo and Something About the Groove — calling us to move.

    It’s an EP to anticipate: music for pure pleasure, molded from our after-dark creativity.

     

     

  • LESKA x Batuk – ‘I Got You’ video

    LESKA x Batuk – ‘I Got You’ video

    After a meticulous brainstorming session between Manteiga, the vocalist of the Pan-African collective, Batuk and director, Adriaan Louw, the captivating video for the Afro tech single “I Got You” in collaboration with the French Electro duo, LESKA, was shot in Johannesburg.

    The phrase “I got you” is charmingly echoed throughout the song, which captures the essence of the song. “It’s a song about love and support and commitment. In my rap, I echo these sentiments. Sometimes times are tough in relationships but as long as you communicate with one another, remain holding hands and keep strong, the love will survive and thrive”, says Manteiga.

    These sentiments are visually represented through Regina Mathanthi and Dudu Dlangalala, the female bodybuilders who can be seen flexing their muscles, standing side-by-side and holding hands in the video. Regina and Dudu physically translate what it means to tell someone, “I got you”. Moreover, as black women, Regina and Dudu signify the strength of black womanhood.

    “Those two women are phenomenal. Their inner and outer strength is truly inspiring. They were part of the video to signify support, might and power. I loved that the video allowed them to express a support and strength that is so beautifully shared between them, and between so many of us black women. Women have been and are massive support structures…in families, in homes and in relationships. Regina and Dudu are flawless symbols of this.”, says Manteiga.

    LESKA also feature in the video with Manteiga. The idea was for them to explore Johannesburg’s inner city architecture with their bodies moving throughout its spaces.

    “The two-circle hand symbol”, which is LESKA’s logo, was incorporated into the video and according to Manteiga, “it happened to fit perfectly for the theme of the song, two lovers linking as one.”

    Manteiga resembled a goddess throughout the video thanks to stylist Manthe Ribane and her team, who put together both regal and playful looks for the shoot.

    “Our collaboration was great. We are all happy with the results and look forward to collaborating again in the future”, says Manteiga.

    Check out more from Batuk and LESKA on their Soundcloud accounts.

  • Red Robyn – The Sweet-voiced Songbird from Wentworth

    Birders of Durban feel shame no more. No longer shall Durban be known as the city with the world’s most annoying bird, the Indian Mynah, but instead, as the city that produced the songbird Red Robyn. Okay, so, Red Robyn is not red, or a Robin, or a bird at all. Obviously, why would I be telling you about an actual bird? Sorry Durban birders, you still have nothing to be proud of.  She is a songbird, though, or a songstress, I should say, and one you wouldn’t mind hearing at the start of each day. Or during the day. Or at night even. Like, literally any time is good.

    What are you doing right now? Here, listen to this…

    How nice was that? How playfully and succinctly does she just cut down the immature boy the song is aimed at. “I’m too old to play with toys, flowers in my hair, ain’t got time for do or dare, oh the shit you’re giving me is just too much and I don’t care, boy”. It would be brutal if it wasn’t wrapped in such vocal sweetness.

    The 21-year-old from Wentworth has a way with words and deftly uses cadence to back them up. This could be because of her background studying drama and music at UKZN, but Red Robyn, real name Ashleigh de Gee, has been musical her whole life. She’s been singing since she was a kid in the choir at church and with both her mother and father being musicians and her grandfather being in a band when he was younger, it’s safe to say that music is in her family.

    The singer is not just a singer but an academic too. She’s currently working on a research paper in deconstructing the coloured identity. Well, she’s currently taking a break until next semester, with this semester being spent on making music. I got to interview Red Robyn a few months ago but it never got published. In our chat, she explained to me what lead her to her topic,“For me, it came from a point of searching for my own identity. People would always ask me, especially in high school, “What are you?” I feel like that such a weird question to ask someone, “What are you?” It came from my own sort of searching within myself to try and find my own identity.”

    I followed up asking her what was the most interesting thing she’d come across in her research? She told me, “The thing that fascinates me is that this generation of coloured people is starting to ask questions. For a long time, I think that coloured people have just accepted the way things are and there’s a generation that’s come out now who are asking questions about their heritage, and they want to know more and do better than the last generation. They want to succeed. There’s a lot of good coming out of being displaced. Just claiming our heritage and claiming our culture.”

    As a white dude, I obviously don’t really know anything about coloured identity. I know that representation matters and that the work that Red Robyn is doing, both on-stage and off, is important. With coloured Cape Town artists like Youngsta, Patty Munroe, Dope Saint Jude and Isaac Mutant getting well-deserved national and international recognition, it’s time for young, fresh coloured artists from Durban to also get some shine.

    Red Robyn will no-doubt get the recognition she deserves soon as she’s fast making herself the queen of collaboration in Durban. The groovy track you heard above is with shit-hot producer MISSU (I interviewed him for Noisey if you’re interested), and they recently teamed up again, along with trip-hop producer Tre Flips, on the deeply romantic and heartbreaking ‘Colours’. Last week she dropped a soulful number called Taekwon with her boyfriend and bandmate in the phenomenal jazz collective Blvck Crystals, Jaedon Daniel. You can hear it below. Her soundcloud is littered with cross-genre collaborations, and last night she let her Facebook fans know that she and Jaedon will be putting out a mixtape, and that she’ll be dropping collabs with Skata, Taylor Made, Easy Freak and Joe Music soon.

    I recently wrote that Red Robyn and Jaedon Daniel are part of a new wave of “young, independent, forward-thinking Durban musicians building themselves, and each other, through collabs with like-minded individuals.” But more than that, I think Red Robyn could be one of the prominent faces of this new wave. I guess time will tell, but for now, keep an eye and an ear out for the sweet-voiced songbird from Wentworth.

     

  • Skateboarding meets fine art: The Skateroom collaborates with Robin Rhode

    The Skateroom teamed up with South African artist Robin Rhode to create a limited edition range of skateboards adorned with five of his iconic artworks.

    The premise behind the work at The Skateroom is to make art accessible. This is based on a social consciousness which is the heartbeat of what they do. The Skateroom collaborates with artists from different parts of the world to create limited edition collections of skateboard decks. By treating the skateboard deck as a canvas in the traditional art sense, they are created with the vision of being hung up on a wall and displayed as one would with a painting. However, people can skate on them as well. The combining of the skateboard with traditional understandings around the way in which art is treated and viewed highlights their exploration and interrogation of the conventions around skateboard artwork, allowing them to push the boundaries of how the skateboard is used and viewed. These collectable editions are sold in various art institutions as a means to fund and support social projects channeled through the NGO Skateistan. This organization, operating in Cambodia, South Africa and Afghanistan aims to empower vulnerable children through skateboarding and education.

    Robin_Rhode_The_Skateroom_Skateboards_Studio_Berlin-1500x1076

    The Skateroom decided to join forces with Berlin-based South African artist Robin Rhode. His work is influenced by his upbringing in Cape Town and looks at urban spaces and the people who occupy them. Five of his well-known outdoor wall artworks produced over the last few years were the inspiration for this monotone collection of skate decks. There are only 100 of each design available, with the first 15 being signed by Rhode. Rhode also created a skateboard deck exclusively for Skateistan. The Skateroom produced 300 to cover the organization’s annual need for skateboards. A few of these were signed by the artist and will be auctioned off in Johannesburg to raise money and create awareness around their Johannesburg skate school.

    Go online to check out the collection

    Skateroom_RobinRhode_RestlessMind-1000x665

    Skateroom_RobinRhode_Juggla-1000x665

    Skateroom_RobinRhode_Skateboard_02-1000x665

    Skateroom_RobinRhode_Skateboard_CuttingCorners-1000x665

    Skateroom_RobinRhode_Bones-1000x665

  • Forlee Bean gets some So(u)l: Sol-Sol Menswear’s new collaboration

    Sol-Sol Menswear, known for their quality men’s basics, has welcomed 2017 with its capsule collection created in collaboration with Hong Kong-based artist and illustrator Forlee Bean aka BAD IDEA.

    Started by Durban-born, skateboarding veteran Mathew Kieser three years ago, Sol-Sol has heavy skate and street influences. Focusing on fit as well as design, Mathew wanted to create a brand that he felt he could wear. Complemented by 2Bop and Young and Lazy who share Corner Store CPT with Sol-Sol, it is clear that all three labels share a vision when it comes to streetwear but have different ways of materializing that vision.

    solsolbadidea2_1

    Mathew has been a fan of Forlee Bean’s work for a while, including his recent work with Paris store Colette. During his last trip to Hong Kong a coffee meet up planted the seed for the Sol-Sol and BAD IDEA collab. “Later that day he [Forlee Bean] texted me with some artwork and was like ‘yo lets do something’,” explained Mathew, “It was extremely easy and I think that is the way things should happen”. Already a fan of Forlee Bean’s style, Mathew chose designs he felt represented both his art and the Sol-Sol brand. “He has this 90s skate vibe [with] all these cats on skateboards,” Matt explained. This resonates with Mathew’s skating influence for Sol-Sol. “He didn’t want to hear from me until the tees were printed…He wanted a surprise and yeah that’s how it went.”.

    Bearing resemblance to graffiti images spray painted over text, elements of Sol-Sol’s clean, simplistic logo share space with Forlee Bean’s illustrations of cats, birds and dollar signs. The collection sees Forlee Bean’s illustrations incorporated with the Sol Sol signature logo in cheeky ways, such as the ‘S’s for Sol-Sol presented as painted dollar signs. A second design sees the ‘S’ in Sol-Sol replaced by the curved tale of a mean-mugging cat biting a mouse with a skateboard in its hand. This adds a playful character to the collection as well as merges both Forlee Bean’s drawing style and the minimalist look of Sol-Sol in a seamless manner. The collection includes three different  black and white cotton tees, rugby jerseys and a nylon coach jacket with metal coated press studs.

    solsolbadidea5

    The new range is available at Corner Store or online

    Excited about the local support SA streetwear has been receiving and the direction that it is going in, Mathew also let us in on a plans for a second collection with BAD IDEA for later this year. Keep checking out Sol-Sol’s Instagram and Twitter to make sure you get on it as soon as it drops.

    solsolbadidea

     

  • Creative Open Call announced by the British Council’s Connect ZA Arts Programme

    The British Council’s Connect ZA Arts Programme supports, highlights, and extends collaborative cultural exchanges between South Africa and the UK. They work across a wide variety of art forms in order to discover and nurture new and existing talent and connections between young people aged 18 to 35. They’ve been pioneering innovative ways to understand and engage creativity for three successful seasons and, following hot-on-the-heels of the reconceptualization of their visual identity in partnership with Bubblegum Club, are launching their next dynamic and exciting phase through the 2016/17 Creative Open Call.

    Whether you are an individual, a small to medium sized creative organisation, or a large scale cultural institution, Connect ZA invites your bold proposal to culminate in a “high quality live, or digital performance, showcase or other public facing event” through the open call titled ‘New Partners, New Projects, New Spaces’. As the call states; “We are looking for a strong mix of projects that may be a combination of more than one art form” but there is particular emphasis on proposals engaging the sectors of live performance and visual art. The call also strongly encourages applications from women in order to try to address issues of their underrepresentation within creative industries.

    Connect ZA are eager to back original and potentially ground-breaking new projects that are devised and designed for a contemporary urban context, as well as for the correct age demographic. It is also important that proposals are mutually beneficial for artists, audiences, and participants in both countries and that they are able “to engage and extend reach across multiple digital platforms,” such as social media. There are amounts of up to £3 500, £7 500, and £15 000 available within the three different Creative Categories so, if you have a great idea, but aren’t able to realise it without some financial support, check out the full guidelines here and download the application form here. Take note that applications close on Monday 18 July 2016. Fingers crossed!