section3: Conceptual
Peterson and Gor 2008 was a watershed in contemporary art history in Kenya. Specifically the Stereotype I and II exhibition series were arguably the first shows to be conceptualized and executed locally by Kenyan artists. It was a reaction to the political upheavals- 2007 PEV. John Kamicha, Thom Ogonga, Anthony Okello, Michael Soi and Sam Hopkins. It sought to interrogate issues to do with tribal and cultural stereotypes inn the Kenyan society, and how these have been used to entrench tribalism in the 32
country. The artists went on to interrogate the subject matter through a wide ranging visual vocabulary; voice and sculpture installations. The feedback from the audience already traumatized by the brutality of the PEV was tremendous. This show, may not have been the first curated show, but certainly represented the marked attempt by Kenyan artists to embrace a more proactive role with regard to putting up exhibitions. John Kamicha was the foreman; his modest way of saying he was the curator.
Q: briefly, in your own perspective, the role of the artist taking up this role of the artist as curator. And talk about experimenting with media.
A: There are things where I really don’ t know where to start, because on one level, I think there have always been initiatives by artists to expose their works and to expose the work of others and if that opens up a space where they have to be identified as curators then I don’ t know … and part of the reason why you have this culture-and it’ s not new, it’ s just that now you have a lot of cutting age expression accompanying it. But the structures that have existed within the Kenyan system is such that, for instance Kuona Trust has been the one that has for the longest time fulfilled the role of a training space whereby artists come in, and am talking about the Museum studio model with a lot of technical workshops- learning how to use oil paints, painting using acrylics, to cast- you know whatever- nonetheless at the end of it all you are left with a skill whose output is not absorbed or passed along in line onto another of structure. Of course there have been, and still are small galleries, but we all know what is happening with the galleries. Ramoma shut down- there are very few commercial gallery spaces. Gallery Watatu is going into exclusive representation – so this is a good system that is good to have but it does not satisfy the demand that is there.