The Open City Project approaches the city’s space through the social reality of the streets as a dynamic space of experimentation and energy. Pepper is interested in people that use and imagine the dialect mesh, history, race, culture, language and aesthetics. His artwork will express the voices and emotions of those who are excluded and marginalised by the process of securitisation, privatisation and surveillance and how they resist and create their own autonomous space.
The Open City Project approaches the city’s space through the social reality of the streets as a dynamic space of experimentation and energy. Pepper is interested in people that use and imagine the dialect mesh, history, race, culture, language and aesthetics. His artwork will express the voices and emotions of those who are excluded and marginalised by the process of securitisation, privatisation and surveillance and how they resist and create their own autonomous space.
CLICK HERE TO FUND THIS PROJECT
About The Project:
We are currently formulating projects to spearhead our endeavors to encourage the upliftment of our current stable of artists as well as those who we are constantly seeking out as potential rising stars within the contemporary art sphere. With proper management and adequate financial backing, we are able to elevate, not only our artists but create a stable and upwardly growth to benefit our established and new collector’s and buyer’s markets. These projects include #TheOpenCityProject where we work hand in hand with artist, Wesley Pepper to exhibit this pivotal exhibition in our gallery.
We are currently seeking funding towards the below mentioned exhibition and project between Johannesburg based artist, Wesley Pepper and M.A.P. Contemporary.
Tipping point: R 40 000
This will go towards art material for the murals which are to be painted inside the gallery as well as for the opening function, which is a relaunch of the new gallery space.
DREAM FUNDING GOAL: R100 000
These funds will be used towards marketing for the exhibition, advertising in arts magazines and websites for maximum reach as well and for the publication of the graphic novel based on the project. The graphic novel will be available in a limited edition to begin with.
The Open City Project approaches the city’s space through the social reality of the streets as a dynamic space of experimentation and energy.
Pepper is interested in people that use and imagine the dialect mesh, history, race, culture, language and aesthetics.
His artwork will express the voices and emotions of those who are excluded and marginalised by the process of securitisation, privatisation and surveillance and how they resist and create their own autonomous space.
The concept behind the artwork:
The concept behind the body of work is based off Pepper’s observation and participation while living in the inner city of Johannesburg.
He loved to socialize with the locals living in the inner city and was fascinated by their reasons for moving into the city and the path they chose to follow in life.
It was through these interactions that he uncovered how the current socio-political system is directly affecting and changing the average South African citizen.
Most people he met had made decisions driven by different forms of fear. They were forced to comply into the standards set by society of what the young working class should be.
He found out that everyone had big dreams and some had strategic plans on how to achieve them, but some did not have the insight on how to go about brining their dreams to life, which caused them to fill that void with all sorts of fear and prejudice.
Pepper then looked at the external reasons for the creation of this fear and came up with the following:
Gentrification; with the gentrification of the inner city, The City of Johannesburg is dividing the city along class lines and if one is caught up in the middle, you are left with the decision on where you fit in; you either live and socialize with the ‘so-called’ poor people, or you accumulate more debt and move in with the upper class.
The majority of the average working class cannot afford the proposed ‘high life’ of gentrification.
Secondly, the physical sizes of the flats in the inner city are small and suffocating. Most tenants do not have a balcony or any place to go outdoors except for the street. This forces them to live indoors and watch more and more television.
The TV and media they consume is one of the chief reasons their idea of what it is to be young gifted and black is twisted and abstract.
Third point is the entertainment and limited socialising spaces. The suffocation of the living space and the limited space to move, forces people to limit their thinking and they escape through alcohol, cheap drugs, church and fast food.
“I had a close look at these above mentioned points and I conceptualised three characters.
These characters are archetypes of the working class living in the inner city.
I looked at the dreamer; he is the one with a plan on how he will manoeuvre his plans to get ahead in life. He has a strong head but is vulnerable to outside stimuli. I’ll represent him with the city pigeon – as the voice of reason.
The second character is the woman; she is creative, a hard worker and a nurturer. Her role balances the main character and they are both vulnerable to fear.
The third character is the anti-hero; he is the one whose character is a direct impact of all the socio-political forces that are changing the lives of so many. He is the third wheel – the one who always starts a fight, the one who always sides with the negative, who always make the wrong – but in his mind, the right decisions.
These characters will feature throughout the body of work and I’ll use them in different situations to tell the story of what it is like to be alive and living in contemporary South Africa and what is takes to survive.
The body of work will have a set narrative and each artwork will tell a story of all the different situations we have to deal with in order get by.
The artworks will all take place in the CBD and I’ll use the city’s urban landscape as metaphor for a man made environment that can be manipulated but not changed.
Since I work more as a street artist lately, I’ll use a strong street art aesthetic in the production of the artworks. The gallery space must look and feel like anyone can just walk in off the street and have a look around. I want to debunk that notion that an art exhibition is for those with money. To combat this I’ll look to re-arrange the gallery like the street grid; we can add make-shift street lines on the floor and arrange the artworks to fit into that narrative.”
CLICK HERE TO FUND THIS PROJECT
The murals:
Two proposed mural will be painted inside the gallery on the movable walls. These murals must be visible to everyone walking or driving past the gallery. The murals will be the starting point of the exhibition. In other words, they will feature images that will lead the onlooker into the rest of the show. Another option would be to paint a mural on a wall outside of the gallery. We could look at a wall that could have the look and feel of a poster for the exhibition. It would be branded with the gallery’s and artist’s name. This type of branding will be subtle and strategic, for example, the artist can add text and logos on clothing or objects. The mural’s composition will feature all of the main characters found in the exhibition.
There will be two videos
First; duration 2 minutes. This full length video will feature a short interview on the artist and takes on the art, gallery and general vibe of the city
Second; duration +- 50 seconds. This will feature a time-lapse of the painting of the mural and short interview with the artist
Both videos will feature a sound track. The artist is in discussion with a musician and should get full rights to using the music.
The videos will be used as part of a social media campaign.
The production of the video will require a separate budget.
Describe how these programmes strengthen/grow the arts in the community :
To understand how the exhibition will impact the local community we have to look at the current situation or state of the contemporary art world.
Most, if not all art exhibitions are done inside a gallery that’s usually marketed directly to a niche market. Most art exhibitions are only attended by people who have a direct affiliation with the arts.
“In my opinion I feel that’s where the art gets lost in translation. This show will talk directly at the man on the street and look at him as a human being and engage with him directly.”
The mural will change and open up the outdoor space and break down, if only a small piece of Apartheid’s spatial planning.
Street art has the power to change the narrative on the street and direct people to the actual exhibition.
The aim is to engage the community and interact with the community. The walkabouts will feature a more practical approach where the participant will be able to draw directly on the mural inside the gallery, leaving their opinions and remarks.
The Team :
M.A.P. Contemporary has thus far established itself as a platform for young, talented and emerging artists in a very short space of time. Since our inception in April 2016 we have had three successful exhibitions under our brand as M.A.P. Contemporary and two previous shows with an affiliate gallery. Our main focus is to give rise and exposure to artists who show real talent and enthusiasm for their craft and bring them to market.
M.A.P. Contemporary aims to provide a visual arts environment that inspires, engages, enriches and informs global arts communities. The gallery aims to become the premier area in which artists are recognized for their talent and pave their way to a more inclusive cultural society.
