Nelisiwe Xaba's latest performance artwork, titled “vRot”, debuted on Women’s Day, Wednesday August 9, at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Gallery as part of the Bio-Art (Biotechnological Art) exhibition.
The exhibition, which started on July 20 and will continue until August 21, promises to be a unique and thought-provoking addition to the Bio-Art exhibition, contributing to the celebration of Women's Day and honouring the accomplishments of women like Xaba who use their talents to explore new frontiers.
While she expressed excitement about the opportunity, she also admitted to feeling “intimidated” by the unfamiliar territory.
Xaba says she’s thrilled that she managed to combine her artistic talent with biotechnological art, contributing to an innovative and diverse exhibit.
“I was excited, but I was also scared because I'm like, ‘I have no idea about science’. I kept asking myself, ‘ What am I going to do?’ I think these words are always intimidating because people are specialised in these topics,” explained Xaba.
“But always challenges and situations that make me nervous, things that make me think out of the box, out of my regular.
“Not knowing it's not a hindrance for me. I like to enter into spaces that I don't know because then that's discovery. It's research. At the same time, it informs me generally, informs the practice, informs how I will navigate what will then become an art object or the performance.”
Xaba’s s performance artwork draws inspiration from various social issues in South Africa, particularly corruption. She believes that as a society, it is crucial not to turn a blind eye to these problems, and everyone has a responsibility to address them.
“I think by naming something and talking about it, hopefully, people start to think deeply about it. There are enough people who don't even think it's corruption if they give money to the traffic officer, so they don’t write them a ticket because it becomes so normalised.
“Bribery has become such a part of our daily lives that we don't even think this is wrong and these small gestures that become get amplified, where someone does not even have a shame to just steal a billion rand and buy 40 Luxury cars. I mean this is so disgusting.”
For her experimental piece, Xaba has collaborated with a professional knitter to knit the mould into the garment she will be wearing during the performance.
“Her material is wool or thread. So I asked her to make me a blanket or sheet with different patterns kind of inspired by the moulds that I've created from my little experiments.”
“Time comes into play, colour comes into play, and textures become part of this mould which then inspires this blanket that I will be using for the performance.
“Then I decided to glass beads to add weight and a bit of sparkle. After the performance, the artwork will then be exhibited.”
The Bio-Art exhibition at UJ is a groundbreaking event, being the first of its kind not only in South Africa but also on the entire African continent.
Bio-art is an innovative art practice that involves collaboration between artists and scientists, using live tissue, microbes, living organisms and life processes as raw materials to create artwork.
The exhibition features the works of nine artists and scientists, including professors Tobias Barnard, Leora Farber and Nathaniel Stern, research designer Nadine Botha, UJ artist-in-residence Brenton Maart, architectural inventor Xylan de Jager, architectural practitioner Miliswa Ndziba, para-disciplinary artist Nolan Oswald Dennis and celebrated choreographer and artist Nelisiwe Xaba.
The artworks showcased in the exhibition represent a diverse range of microbial and biological forms, such as pathogenic bacteria, mycelia, viruses and living/non-living materials like plant matter.
By utilising these materials, the artists make the invisible aspects of life visible, shedding light on the interconnectedness of living organisms and their environments.
The event is free and open to the public and will start with a walkabout in the gallery at 11am, with the performance following at 12.30 pm.