25 May - 20 July 2024
Marta Czok Foundation
Campo Rialto Novo, 544 Venice
Zerial Art Project presents, from 25 May to 20 July 2024 at the Marta Czok
Foundation in Venice, the exhibition Embodied Histories curated by Alice
Montanini. Under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the
exhibition brings the work of Zimbabwean artists Peter Musami and Mukudzei
Muzondo to Italy for the first time. Through a selection of previously unseen works
created especially for the occasion, Embodied Histories explores themes of memory, trauma and cultural heritage in the intricate context of Zimbabwe's tumultuous history, setting in the context of the 60th International Art Exhibition -
La Biennale di Venezia curated by Adriano Pedrosa Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners
Everywhere.
Richly reminiscent of Shona cultural background, Musami and Muzondo’s artistic
visions converge and diverge, forming a poignant discourse on the body as a
vessel of trauma, a theatrical landscape of scars, yet simultaneously a spiritual site
of healing and reconciliation.
Muzondo’s work is characterised by a striking figurative storytelling embodied with
both historical and personal references. Through densely layered compositions, his
powerful depiction delves into the struggles and resilience of a scarred nation,
while uncovering the intricate interplay between socio-political historical events,
memory, and tradition, all shaping Zimbabwe contemporary cultural identity. In his
work, lingering echoes of colonialism permeate the cultural confrontation with the
oppressive Western capitalist system, where the voices of non-dominant cultures
are drowned out by the shadow of a still tangible colonial past.
The complex non-linearity of trauma is portrayed by Musami’s textured large
collage works. Intertwined with political undertones, these works evoke an
emotional landscape where the past and the present overlap, as if echoing a
fragmented psyche dealing with traumatic experiences. A mosaic of layered
memories retraces the artistic process of tearing, cutting and subsequently
assembling each fragment into a new wounded yet vibrant composition, where the
artistic expression is transmuted into a symbolic act of healing.
Through the convergence of Muzondo’s figurative symbolism and Musami’s
abstract expressionism, this exhibition invite viewers to navigate a multifaceted
contemporary narrative deeply embedded in the scarred history of Zimbabwe.
The exhibition is accompanied by a digital catalogue featuring a critical text by
Alice Montanini and unpublished interviews with artists Peter Musami and
Mukudzei Muzondo, curated by Valerie Sithole, curator at the National Gallery of
Zimbabwe in Mutare. The publication, richly illustrated, will be in a bilingual format,
Italian and English.
—
Embodied Histories / Musenga Nhoroondo. Peter Musami, Mukudzei Muzondo
curated by Alice Montanini
25 May - 20 July 2024
Marta Czok Foundation
Campo Rialto Novo, 544, 30124 Venice
opening time: Tuesday - Saturday, from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm
vernissage: Saturday, May 25 at 4 pm
in partnership with Tenuta Conte Romano
a project by Zerial Art Project
under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe
supported by Marta Czok Foundation
graphic design by Alice Montanini
Biographical notes:
Mukudzei Muzondo (Kwekwe, 1983) lives and works in Harare. He completed his
studies at the Peter Brich School of Art and was later selected to be artist in
residence at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. He graduated in Fine Arts from
Harare Polytechnic College. Mukudzei Muzondo has participated in various solo
and group exhibitions, international workshops and art residencies. His research is
aimed at investigating historical and contemporary contexts, questioning the
human condition in urban society. By experimenting with various objects using
different media from silk-screen printing to assemblages, his works generate an
analysis of human existence in social and political spaces. Also highlighting
contemporary research on identity and belonging, his works are an introspection
based on the narrative of the body and life defined through experiences. His works
seek to give form and meaning to the articulation of the State of Being. His works
are in private collections, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, USA, Germany and
France and in public collections National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare and FBC
Bank, Harare Zimbabwe.
Peter Musami (Harare, 1981) is a visual artist working in Harare, Zimbabwe, since
the late 2000s. He attended the National Gallery of Zimbabwe School of Visual Arts
and Design, from 2012 to 2013. During this time he honed his skills in assembling
different materials and painting, experimenting with ideas and techniques from
other established art genres. With influences derived from nature, social culture
and music, he developed as a painter and sculptor whose work is not necessarily
a search for new art forms, but rather a need to discover and demonstrate different
dimensions to the already established art genres of assemblage and abstraction.
With a vibrant palette of oil colours and intricate shading of lines, Musami's
abstract expressionist works describe and evoke the history of his life experiences
and contemporary culture. Peter Musami's works can be found in important
private collections. He has exhibited in various solo and group exhibitions in
Zimbabwe, South Africa, the UK, Canada and Switzerland.
Alice Montanini is a contemporary art curator. After completing a Master's degree
in Philosophical Sciences at Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, she
furthered her academic pursuits by obtaining a MA in Curating the Contemporary
from London Metropolitan University. Her professional experience encompasses
roles of responsibility in international art galleries, managing curatorial projects,
and creating multimedia content. Recently, she curated the collective exhibition
Flashbacks, showcasing renowned international artists such as Vincenzo Agnetti,
Jan Fabre, Roman Opałka, and Remo Salvadori at BUILDINGBOX, an exhibition
space within BUILDING, Milan. She co-curated exhibitions such as Private
Exposure at the me Collectors Room in Berlin and Dialogues of Space at the
Korean Cultural Centre UK in London. In 2021, she founded the YouTube channel
Arte Contemporanea Oggi.
Peter Musami
Wumbiridzo/Restoration I, 2014
oil on canvas, 140 x 140 cm
© Peter Musami
Peter Musami
Mavanga/Scars X, 2024
oil and acrylic on mixed media, 89 x 70 cm
© Peter Musami
Peter Musami
Untitled, 2024
oil and acrylic on canvas, 132 x 140 cm
© Peter Musami
Mukudzei Muzondo
Unstoppable 2, 2024
serigraph, acrylic, graphite on canvas,128 x 200 cm
© Mukudzei Muzondo
Mukudzei Muzondo
Slaves to Systems (c), 2024
serigraph, acrylic, metal grommets on canvas, 100 x 80 cm
© Mukudzei Muzondo
Mukudzei Muzondo
Mhozisi_Moses, 2024
serigraph, acrylic, metal grommet, stitching on canvas, 120 x 88 cm
© Mukudzei Muzondo
for more information on the exhibition, please contact:
Zerial Art Project
Founder & Creative Director
Elisabetta Zerial
+39 351 7662597
info@zerialartproject.com
www.zerialartproject.com
@zerialartproject
CCI Communications
International Press Liaison
Christina Ioannou
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