The Tomorrows/Today exhibition brings together 10 artists who will be tomorrow’s leading names in art. An exhibition’s use of the title In and Out of Time is that of the poem of the same name by Maya Angelou, which speaks of everlasting love and suffering. Photo: Supplied
The 2023 Investec Cape Town Art Fair explores art through the notion of time in its 10th edition at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The Tomorrows/Today exhibition brings together 10 artists who will be tomorrow’s leading names in art. An exhibition’s use of the title In and Out of Time is that of the poem of the same name by Maya Angelou, which speaks of everlasting love and suffering.
At a glance, the artists’ work is aesthetically feminine and soft, capturing the beauty in everyday objects and scenes. But at the same time, there is little ambiguity in each of the artworks regarding intimacy, queer love and romance.
Tomorrows/Today links the multidimensional concepts of our bodies, minds and social environments with experiences of time, memory, imagination and desire.
The co-curators, Mariella Franzoni with Natasha Becker, reimagine time through its various dimensions such as memory in relation to love, affection and a range of emotions. Like Angelou’s poetry, the artworks present emotional images of long-lasting love.
“Time in our society is a very disciplined measurement. There is the economic discipline of productivity and leisure time that is more sentimental”, says Frazoni.
Tomorrows/Today also forecasts future practices and ideas, says Franzoni. A panel of art professionals award a cash prize to the artist with the highest quality presentation.
“We wanted to approach time from an emotional place, and a poem is the perfect starting point,” says Frazoni. “Maya Angelou’s In and Out of Time is a love poem that references sentiment and how love goes beyond life’s challenges.”
Cape Town Art Fair said in a statement, “There is no knowable line that one crosses to move from emerging to established, so the section can also present artists who have a track record but for whatever reason have not gained significant attention.”
Artists on the rise
Cape Town-based artist Talia Ramkilawan uses tapestry as a vehicle for healing. Ideas of vulnerability, queer identity, pop culture and heritage are woven into her works of wool and cloth.
Ramkilawan’s work reflects the trauma of dislocation and displacement she felt because of her South Asian identity. “Indian, yet not Indian enough, a daughter, a friend, queer, brown, tired yet so much more to give,” she said.
It is a thread that is laced throughout her work, it’s not surprising she has been recognised as one to watch on the global art stage.
Jewellery designer and sculptor Githan Coopoo is known for his sarcastically queer ceramic sculptures of designer handbags tagged with messages that speak to class and social status, opulence and fragility.
Joanna Choumali embroiders directly on the photographs she has taken. Both the act of creating and the images themselves are meditative.
Frazoni says they aimed to juxtapose artists from South Africa — such as Coopoo and Ramkilawan — with artists from Africa, like Choumali.
“All these artists align with our theme, yet they’re so different. They all speak to each other and have their own place in a symphony of voices,” says Frazoni.
The Investec Cape Town Art Fair will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 17 to 19 February