CARNEVALE AT ESSENCE

THE ARTiculate Book & Art Fair returns to Durban with the second instalment of the Essence Festival at the ICC from September 28 to October 1.

A highlight of this year’s festival will be a visual arts exhibition curated by Curate.A.Space, with the inviting theme of “Carnevale”. This links the festival with Durban’s sister city, New Orleans, with its history of carnivals such as the Mardi Gras, a major tourist attraction and an occasion used by its citizens to forget differences and celebrate as one.

The term “carnivalesque” characterises writing or actions which depict the temporary destabilisation of power structures, as happens in traditional forms of carnival. It’s a time of year when everyone is equal and there are no divisions.

Durban will celebrate the arts with a wide range of artists from different parts of the city and country. Performance and ephemeral art will be part of the mix, and the fun will spill into the streets from the main gallery space at the ICC, with exciting murals and street art around the city.

A highlight of this year will be the Talks Programme. Invited speakers are ex-Durban artist and now internationally recognised painter Penelope Siopis, who will be in conversation with Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi, a Joburg-based artist who recently exhibited at the new Louis Vuitton Museum in Paris, where she participated as an invited artist in an exhibition by contemporary artists from Africa.

Renowned auctioneer and art expert Stephan Welz, will give a talk on “How to invest in art and start a collection”. – Staff Reporter