LANDART: "WASHINGLINES/BLOODLINES SERIES"

Internationally proclaimed artist Georgia Papageorge is to install the second phased “Washing Lines/Bloodlines Series” landart project in follow up to her “AFRICA RIFTING – LINES OF FIRE” at the Red Location Museum on 28 July 2007.

NATION-BUILDING LAND-ART EVENT

RED LOCATION MUSEUM, NELSON MANDELA BAY, SOUTH AFRICA—JUNE 09, 2007:
The event: An installation with the long red banners used during the Enon/Bersheba 2005 procession, will be made on Saturday the 28th July, 2007 at the historic Red Location settlement and the adjacent Red Location Cultural Precinct where a primary development, and multi-award winning Red Location Museum stands. Red Location settlement was established in Port Elizabeth in the early 1900’s using the same red rusted corrugated iron cottages from the Uitenhage Concentration Camp where the British incarcerated Boer women and children during the First South African War (1899 to 1902). From the inception of the former Apartheid Government in 1948, Red Location became a ‘hotspot’ of the Anti-Apartheid movement.

Red banners are to create a textile “Bloodline” from the New Brighton Railway Station Bridge, where first national arrests were made during the passive resistance campaign (defiance campaign) in 1952 against the notorious pass laws. Liberation Struggle Veterans will help to clad the Railway Bridge Barrier (where many historic events occurred) with a 10 meters long chevroned red and white banner. Then, commencing as red banners spread by Metro Community members across the base of the bridge, down the stairs and over the 300 meters of grit and stones leading to the entrance of the Museum. Once the symbolic voyage is completed, participants will form a line away and alongside the banners, take off their shoes, in silence remember the past for 1 minute and return to the ”Bloodline” where they will sacredly step unto the banners to write their names. Once shoes are fitted again, the people will gather the banners and bring these inside the Museum from where it will be suspended down the twelve - 12 meters high red rusted corrugated iron memory boxes, that define the interior of the museum space.

Symbolism: This “Bloodline Event” follows a historic pathway that makes “Sacred the Memory of the Past” (Museum’s motto is “seeking to remember the past in many ways”) and seeks to “Heal” through processional ritual which becomes enshrined in a repeating blood symbolism now encoded in these red banners…

LINKED EVENT ON SUNDAY 29 JULY 2006 AT THE NEIGHBORING VILLAGES ENON AND BERSHEBA:
Inspiration: “Often, the most evident ‘pictorial ‘ lines in any cultural community are the daily washing lines. They seem to register in their hybrid personalities the whole social and mental state of the people who live in these often extremely dilapidated settlements. The fragments of cloth, be they items of clothing , sheeting or any other item that finds itself on the Line declares a social condition that incorporates both poverty and cultural richness in the items displayed. This includes - historical cultural (tribal) preferences, choice/fashion and a certain sense of humour. Of tolerance of their condition and a certain contentment of a job done under difficult circumstances. Many of these communities do not have laid on water and women walk considerable distances to collect their tins of water. Or the washing is done in local rivers (when there is water in them) , cladding surrounding rocks and bushes with a colorful array of items” Quote: Georgia Papageorge

Event: Items previously produced (by these villages; Nelson Mandela Bay Community; Scholars from Pretoria; a visiting Native American Indian Group; and the Artist) are to be pegged onto lines. These would project off the rooftop of the old Moravian Church – continuing via trees and fences to the adjacent school buildings and from there up to the graveyard through lines pulled between trees.

EXHIBITIONS TO FOLLOW:
All contributions made are to be exhibited at both the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Nelson Mandela Bay during September & October 2008 and the Pretoria Art Museum from February to March 2009. (Latter to be confirmed).

PROCEEDS:
Apart from the commissions applicable to the exhibiting Museums, it has been decided that the full amount realized will be given to the under privileged communities involved to assist with renovations to the schools at Enon and Bersheba, and a nominated contribution to the Red Location Community.

LINK TO GEORGIA PAPAGEORGIA
http://www.innerrift.co.za/layout1/displayfull5.asp?ID=100004

RED LOCATION MUSEUM EVENT ORGANISERS
Annette du PlessiS
Marketing Officer
Red Location Museum
www.freewebs.com/redlocationmuseum
Landline +27(0)414088400
Cell +27(0)835652967
E-mail aduplessis@mandelametro.gov.za

Emma Taggart
Exhibitions Officer
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
www.artmuseum.co.za
Landline +27(0)415861030
E-mail emma@artmuseum.co.za

Profile:
The spectacular L-shaped Red Location Museum is a primary development of the Red Location Cultural Precinct and was created by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as a not-for-commercial entity.

The award scooping (World Leadership, Riba Lubetkin, Dedalo Minosse and Eastern Cape Leadership) Museum is a major tourist attraction and aspires to serve as impetus for community development and transformation.

The factory styled (where space, concrete, oxidized corrugated iron, wood, glass and metal challenge conventional forms of Museum design) Museum is situated in the New Brighton Township of Nelson Mandela Bay.

RED LOCATION MUSEUM

Address:
Corner of Singaphi and Olof Palme Streets
New Brighton
Nelson Mandela Bay
6200
SOUTH AFRICA

Contact Details
Landline +27(0)4088400
Fax +27(0)4088401
Receptionist - Nosikhumbuza Hosa
E-mail nhoza@mandelametro.gov.za
Interim Website - Address:
Corner of Singaphi and Olof Palme Streets
New Brighton
Nelson Mandela Bay
6200
SOUTH AFRICA

Contact Details
Landline +27(0)4088400
Fax +27(0)4088401
Receptionist - Nosikhumbuza Hosa
E-mail nhoza@mandelametro.gov.za
Interim Website - www.freewebs.com/redlocationmuseum

PRESS CONTACT
Annette du Plessis - Marketing Officer

This release was published on openPR.