Whatshot
A one woman show by Nicolé Maurel
A one woman show by Nicolé Maurel
This grappling with identity is placed in the context of her family history and life experiences through multimedia such as video, digital collages, performance, drawing, ceramics, mixed media and sculptural installation.
"This interrogation forms part of a critical transformative inquiry, which explores the death, rebirth and growth of my personal identity through art practice. It is through writing and telling our stories we use the power of narratives to deconstruct and reconstruct new identities, in order to begin to heal," explains Maurel.
"My art practice interrogates the influence of Afrikaner culture and identity on my upbringing as a white Afrikaans speaking South African female. I questioned the contradictory rebellious, authoritarian and conformist nature of the Afrikaner. I identify with the rebelliousness and strong yearning and struggle for freedom, which are prominent in Afrikaner culture and identity. This research has made an important contribution to the current debate regarding the future of Afrikaner culture and identity in the context of a multicultural nation.
"My art practice reveals a persistent questioning of Afrikaner culture and identity, resulting in the formation of an individual identity. I have been struggling against Afrikaner myths and beliefs, such as the Afrikaner as the chosen people and the authority of the patriarch. 20 years of democracy has brought about a multi-cultural environment, which is very different from that which existed when I grew up during apartheid. It has provided a space for a metamorphosis of my personal identity through an interrogation of Afrikaner culture and identity in my art practice," she says.
On Saturday 19 April 2015 at 10h00, you can be a part of a walkabout of the exhibition conducted by the artist herself.
The Durban Art Gallery (DAG) is open six days a week: Monday to Saturday from 8.30am until 4pm, and Sundays from 11am until 4pm. Entry is free and all are welcome! For more info, contact the Gallery on 031311 2264 / 9 or Jabu.Mngwengwe@durban.gov.za (weekdays)
DAG is on the second floor of the magnificent Durban City Hall building; enter opposite the Playhouse in the heart of the city of Durban.