We spend time with uAzola Krweqe, a curator and visual practitioner from Cape Town, residing and practising from her paternal home located in Nkanga, Willowvale. Her photographic enquiries explore her subjects’ freedom to consider how they wish to be made visible to public audiences. While visitng with uAzola we come to learn of how her return home has nurtured a growing relationship with her culture and ancestral practises that have allowed for her to be returned to histories that tend to be forgotten when live and move in the cities. As we meander through her personal story we come to learn anew of how isintu can play an integral part kwingcinga yethu as black practitioners.
Inckubeko Yakwantu is Azola’s extension on her research and development project following her time spent with Curator and British Council consultant Cindy Sissokho whilst at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Addressing the ongoing provocation of “representation”, Azola has come to grow her ideas, looking at ‘How young curators can think of ways that solve local issues?’ This includes creative work that encourages social development, particularly in rural and remote locations like that of Willowvale. Based kuGatyane, Inkcubeko Yakwantu involves the Makers of the Willowvale Arts Centre while drawing on indigenous knowledge practices and intuitive processes as a part of its development and experimentation. Key to Inkcubeko Yakwantu are intergenerational conversations between young and old, which aid the project in its re-imaginings of new pathways that help shape a more compassionate and self-empowered future.
“It is my hope that this project will contribute towards rural development in South Africa by challenging the problematic representations of those living in rural areas that have been historically enforced through colonialism and western thought, and that continue to exist in the now. I am excited by the prospects of supporting and developing sustainable art and culture spaces/activities ezilalini (in rural areas).” Azola is a part of the community co-authors who offer us a new lens into ilali and it’s value for the contemporary Maker/Thinker.
Community contributors The James Family Mrs Kutazwa James The community yaku Gatyana Willowvale Arts Center and with special thanks to the Art Center Manager, Lukhanyo Muluse Azola Krweqe
Mama Makholi Ms Nobuhle James Mrs Nokhaya Jilingisa Willowvale Makers Co-op Mr Mangaliso Jafta Special thanks to the production team: Executive Producer - Bongani Tau Content Advisor - Sihle Sogaula Graphic Designers - 2DOTS Space Agency
UN/FOLDING_RE/FOLDING_FOLDED is nestled under THE FOLD – a creative and collaborative research project led by the African Fashion Research Institute in partnership with Creative Nestlings Foundation for the New Narratives Programme 2023.