The Essence Festival – a partnership
between sister cities Durban and New Orleans, is in its second year in Durban.
Curate.a.Space have been appointed curators of the Visual Arts component. Our
theme is Carnevale. This has been
chosen in order to link with the New Orleans strong history of carnivals such
as the Mardi Gras which is one of that city’s major tourist attractions as well
as being a liminal space for its citizens who use this occasion to forget
differences and celebrate as one.
Mikhail Bakhtin, a Russian linguist and
literary critic, used the term “carnivalesque” to characterize writing/actions
that depict the de-stabilization or reversal of power structures, albeit
temporarily, as happens in traditional forms of carnival.
Bakhtin in Rabelais and his World (1968),
shows how this disruption can occur by mobilizing humour, satire, and
grotesquery in all its forms. Transgressive social behaviour can thrive beneath
the veneer of social order, constantly threatening to upend things.
Bakhtin's concept is often read as a
utopian antidote to repressive forms of power everywhere and a celebration of
the possibility for affirmative change. We need this now.
Durban will be celebrating the arts in an
inclusive manner and Curate.a.Space invites artists from different parts of the
city and the rest of the country to join them.
“Performance and ephemeral art will be part
of the mix and we will take certain elements into the street with parades,
street art and forays into lesser known areas around the city. The exhibition
will be at ICC which will also serve as a springboard to venture into “secret” spaces
and discover new things,” explains Carol Brown of Curate.A.Space.
The exhibition will run from September 28
to October 1. For more information if you wish to participate contact
Curate.A.Space on email: cbrown.durban@gmail.com
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