(One of the photographic works on show)An exquisite photography exhibition entitled Siliva Zulu accompanied by the screening of a silent movie with the same title will be hosted by the UJ Art Gallery at the University of Johannesburg during February 2011.
The movie Siliva Zulu was made in Zululand by an Italian troupe in 1927, probably one of the very first European movies to boast an entirely black cast at a time when both Indian and Black characters were played by white people with painted faces. The very simple love story is essentially a pretext to present a series of scenes of Zulu daily and festive life as it actually was at the time.
Lidio Cipriani, a renowned anthropologist and a member of the Italian troupe, shot a series of behind-the-scenes photographs as well as photos of the Zulus in their environment. These images are highly regarded both for their aesthetic and anthropological value. Some of the photos have been published and showcased on other occasions, but never before in South Africa.
The photographs and documentary background information will be displayed in the gallery and the movie accompanied by live narration and music will be shown in the UJ Theatre on the opening night. Paul Weinberg, senior curator from the Centre for Curating the Archives at the University of Cape Town will do a presentation on the photos and their significance on the same night.
A lecture/walkabout will be presented by Claudia Fratini from the Italian Institute of Culture on February 5 at 10h00.
Siliva Zulu runs from February 2 to 23 at the UJ Art Gallery and was made possible by the Italian Embassy and Italian Institute of Culture as well as the Centre for Curating the Archives at UCT. More information from Annali Cabano-Dempsey on 011 559 2099.
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