This article is based on an article which was published in The Sunday Times. The article itself was an outcry from the “artistic community” about the reaction from our very own Arts and Culture Minister, Lulu Xingwana, who after attending a prominent artist’s exhibition earlier last week stormed out of the exhibition claiming it to be “pornographic”, “revolting” and “immoral”. The exhibition showcased various female bodies intertwined in what to the accepting mind are loving embraces. The exhibition appropriately named “Innovative Women”, as an artist myself, as from simply viewing the images from an online perspective I can already deduce that images depicting women placed and photographed in “pseudo-sexual” poses should and needs to be seen in it’s own light. For many years, homosexuality among the black communities and cultures of South Africa was highly frowned upon, especially among the female demographics of those very communities. What more appropriate name could've been given to this exhibition, one that is trying to break those moulds and stereotypes placed on such demographics?
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“Innovative Women” – genius.
"Innovative Women" curated and contributed to by Bongi Bengu
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Let me remind you for a second of who Lulu Xingwana is and where she came from. This “art rapist” as referred to by Steven Cohen, one of South Africa’s most censored artists was up until our last election, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs. Her role in that specific parliamentary appointment has been named a “spectacular failure” by some and even though the affected are happy to see her out from the position, the arts and culture community of South Africa have considered her appointment “an insult”.
Personally, I agree with the overall sentiment. I’m not sure how I feel about a politician who’s failed us as a country in terms of land use, never mind the controversy through exposure by the Mail and Guardian of supposed monies amounting to the total of R150 Million Rand, which disappeared from her former Department.
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I mean really?
Offended? You tell me...
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Why was this woman not removed from parliament after this ridiculous diversion of money…? So what has the ANC done, they’ve chucked her in the direction of one of the last liberating fields South Africa has as a nation…Art and Culture! Nice one!
Looking through the images from the gallery, anyone with some kind of notion for woman’s liberation would be able to perceive that this kind of exhibition was directed at those who stereotype homophobic behaviour. People’s opinion needs to be changed, and changed quickly.
Taken from “Canvas Life” – Saturday Star (March 6 2010)
“Contrary to media reports,” said Xingwana’s statement, “I was not even aware as to whether the ‘bodies’ in the images were of men or women, or both for that matter. My reaction was guided by the view that these ‘artworks’ were not suitable for a family audience. I noticed there were children as young as three years old in the room.”
Instead of focusing on the above issues, she decided to focus on the criticism she received over her apparent “homophobia” stating that she “was not aware of the sexual orientation of the pictures or artists, and my reaction was not based on anti-gay sentiments as implied in some media reports on the matter.”
Maybe she should have thought about this before storming out of the exhibition in a fit of “pseudo-homophobic rage”.
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Minister Xingwana: Be afraid, be very afraid.
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Xingwana has also been quoted saying that “those particular works of art stereotyped black women.” In what universe does she believe we live in…”stereotyping”, really? If anything, this kind of exhibition has been produced to break the confines of what society perceive black women in South Africa to be. Homophobic behaviour is somewhat of a taboo subject among the black communities of South Africa, so how would an exhibition named…”Innovative Women”, depicting black women, seemingly of a gay nature, placed in loving embraces be stereotyping black women? Her statements have absolutely no grounds whatsoever…sure she can apologise for her apparent homophobic behaviour, but stating that this kind of ground-breaking, culture-shocking, lifestyle-embracing exhibition is “revolting” and “stereotyping” is a blatant disregard for art as a whole in South Africa and is evidently lacking of common knowledge or intellect.
In essence, this out burst from our “well informed” Minster of Arts and Culture (trying my best not to throw up on myself *excuse me*) has inadvertently done is possibly opened the doors for a debate about South African Art?
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What is regarded as “art” in South Africa?
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What constitutes South African Art?
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Where do we draw the line with particular subject matter?
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Who should be delegated to over-seeing these decisions?
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Should it be “governed” by an “educated panel” or by “actual government”?
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These are all questions that need to be (hopefully) discussed when this issue does get bigger than the average “Canvas Life” front page. Where is this debate going to be sparked from though? Will we as a people, as the artistic community in South Africa, have to rally to drive this debate into fruition? Unfortunately the age old adage in South Africa is that issues such as this, which call for debate, are usually swept under the rug and after much ineffective up-roar from the public! We as a nation have become complacent…again…and move on, or divert our attention to somewhere less interesting…such as Malema…! (*I’m just saying*)
Due to the attention this issues has caused, many South African personalities have come to the forefront and have expressed their opinions about Lulu Xingwana's reaction to the “Innovative Women” exhibition such as the likes of Zapiro (one of South Africa’s most prolific political/satirical illustrators/cartoonists) and Steven Cohen…an artist who’s work was dubbed unfit for public viewership.
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Bongi Bengu - Artist and Curator
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A personality directly involved in this issue has also spoken out. Bongi Bengu, the contributing artist and curator of the “Innovation Women” exhibition has been quoted to say that the exhibition itself “must be a platform for dialogue, a platform to discuss the issues they hold as very important to them.” The previous quote was the brief she discussed with the attendees of the “Innovative Exhibition”.
She continued to say, in regard to Xingwanas reaction that, “It all came as a big surprise to me. All I can say is that the idea of the exhibition was to give a voice to women.” In my opinion, that voice was created to curb the taboo and stereotype trodden black women of South Africa. Now, without turning this into a political debate…reference must be made to the development and power that “art” in this country has played. This is perfectly stated by Bengu herself, “I think that true dialogue will contribute to social cohesion. During apartheid times it became very clear that censorship does not work. But even during those trying times it was art that played a crucial role in liberating the people.”
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It cannot be summed up better than in those words…art has always been an avenue for the freedom of expression, the development of youth and in some cases – such as this – has been the catalyst to attempt to break down stereotypes and empower.
Why has it taken such a misuse of political opinion such as this to finally throw this kind of an issue into the spotlight? Thankfully, we as the South African public are “lucky” (and I mean that with a truck load of salt) enough to have political figures who from time to time “slip up”, such as Minister Xingwana…we should be thankful that public faux pas’ such as this still happen and evidently spark that much needed public debate…otherwise I’m afraid that us as a nation, a creative and artful nation might be complacent enough to stand around and stare at blank canvasses.
Art communicates Life.
Life communicates Art.
People are alive, therefore Art lives through us.
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