Latest news with #Négritude
TimesLIVE
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
A Gerard Sekoto moment at Strauss & Co
The art world is having a long-overdue Gerard Sekoto moment. Sekoto should have been one of South Africa's most revered and cherished cultural touchstones in his lifetime. Instead, choosing self-imposed exile in 1947 to escape race discrimination and the onset of high apartheid the after year, he spent his life on the fringes of urban life and alcoholism in his city of exile, Paris. He remained on the fringes of artistic recognition for his work, until he was embraced first by Senegalese poet and president Leopold Senghor and the nascent Négritude movement in the 1960s, then later by his home country, with honorary doctorates and museum exhibitions happening in the early 1990s — the last years of his life — and the last years of apartheid itself. In 2024, curator Adriano Pedrosa included Gerard Sekoto's earliest known self-portrait in his exhibition Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere — at the 60th Venice Biennale. The work was painted in October 1947, shortly after Sekoto's arrival in London en route to Paris. In 2008, it was bought by the Kilbourn Collection, the significant private collection of Strauss chair Frank Kilbourn and his family. At present the self-portrait is the cover star of the publicity for the exhibition Paris Noir: Artistic Circulations and Anti-Colonial Resistance, 1950—2000 (March 19-June 30) at the Centre Pompidou, Paris. The exhibition retraces the presence and influence of 150 artists from Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean who were active in France from the 1950s to 2000 — among them Sekoto, who ironically spent much of his time in Paris playing jazz piano in a bar to survive. Cleverly making the most of his current prominence in global art circles, Strauss & Co are staging a non-commercial exhibition featuring some of Sekoto's numerous paintings of working people. Curated by Wilhelm van Rensburg, senior art specialist and head curator at Strauss & Co, Working Life in South Africa: Gerard Sekoto & Lena Hugo explores not only Sekoto's depictions of nannies, washerwomen, brickmakers, coal merchants, miners, barbers, shopkeepers, street photographers and water drawers, but also contemporary artist Lena Hugo's large-scale pastel drawings of South African heavy-machinery operators, many of them set against treated and sealed backgrounds of local newsprint headlines. While Hugo's work appropriately foregrounds and heroises local working people, the chief interest of the show the works by Sekoto, which span a crucial part of his working life as an artist, from the 1940s to the 1970s. Sekoto is responsible for one of the most canonical single paintings in South African art history, The Song of the Pick, also from 1947, now in the corporate collection of South32 and on long-term loan at the Javett UP Art Centre in Pretoria. This magnificent work depicts, in Sekoto's dynamic but social realist early style, a black road gang in synchronised motion in the swing of their pickaxes, observed by their insouciant white 'baas' smoking his pipe. Strauss & Co's exhibition presents a number of later variations on the theme, even versions of the same work painted and drawn much later by the artist. The show also presents a 1940s depiction of a domestic worker sitting in the sun outside the stoep of a house, done in a style reminiscent of Sekoto's near-contemporary George Pemba. Much later works depicting similar working-class figures in their daily lives reflect the more abstracted and more fluid style Sekoto developed after his year in the 1960s spent in Senegal under the patronage of Senghor. Strauss & Co's commendable commitment to art education through their curatorial and exhibition projects such as this one is one of the last bastions of exposure to important local fine art that we have, in the vacuum left by the collapse of the public museum and gallery sector. This rare insight into one of our greatest artists is not to be missed.
CBC
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Gatineau's street names should reflect city's Black history, researcher argues
Out of thousands of streets in Gatineau, Que., so few are named after Black people that you could count them on one hand, according to a political science researcher urging the city to make changes. Patrice Emery Bakong, a Ph.D candidate at the Université de Montréal who's based in the western Quebec city, investigated how many streets and other public places in Quebec are named after Black people. He was surprised to find they were so poorly represented, considering that as of 2021 Black people make up around 10 per cent of Gatineau's population. "It's only a matter of justice, because we are all people of Gatineau," said Bakong. "I have two young children ... and I want them to have something they can hold onto." Bakong reached out to city staff to talk about how they can be more inclusive of the Black community, and is slated to present his research to city council on Monday. "I want to change the rules [about] how the streets and public spaces are named after people," Bakong said. Just 2 streets, one alley, one park According to Bakong's research, two streets, one park and one alley in Gatineau are named after Black Canadians: La Ruelle and Le Parc Jean-Gardy-Bienvenu are named after a 12-year-old boy who drowned in Montreal. Rue Jean-Alfred is named after the first Black member of the National Assembly of Quebec. Rue Oxford is named after London Oxford, the first Black settler in the Ottawa Valley. Recognition like this is vital, said Gatineau's only Black councillor, Bettyna Bélizaire. "It's about a sense of belonging," she said. "There are a lot of people from African descent that have helped build the Quebec that we know today, and their names need to be recognized." Gatineau has seen its Black community grow significantly in the last 20 years, Bélizaire added, making it doubly important to recognize them. Struggles and solutions A wave of Black people immigrated to Gatineau around the start of the 21st century, Bakong said, and the population has kept growing since then. But since that population is relatively young compared to other demographics, there's a unique barrier to getting recognition on public infrastructure, Bakong said. In Quebec, people must be dead for at least a year before something can be named after them — a rule Bakong thinks should go. "It's not fair for Black people," he said. One way around the rule, Bélizaire argued, is to use the names of Black people whose influence was international. And she and Bakong both suggested using other words instead of names, like "Négritude," a cultural and political movement among French-speaking Black people. Coun. Isabelle N. Miron, vice-president of the Gatineau Toponymy Committee, told Radio-Canada in French they've strived to promote inclusivity. Those efforts, Miron said, have included renaming Rue Amherst — which honoured a controversial British general whose legacy regarding Indigenous people has long been debated — to Rue Wigwàs, which means "white birch" in Anishinabeg. The same efforts should be made for the Black community, she said. Bélizaire said it's important to ensure residents know they can propose names. The city reviews submissions, she said, and cultivates a list to use for future projects. One Black person's name is on that list now: Marielle Lapaix, a businesswoman who was known as the "grandmother of the entire Haitian community in Gatineau." If the one-year rule was dropped, Bélizaire suggested honouring former city councillor Mireille Apollon, a recipient of the Order of Gatineau and the Prix québécois de la citoyenneté.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
French street artist Shuck One pays tribute to Black history at Pompidou Center in Paris
PARIS (AP) — French street artist Shuck One is honoring Black figures who shaped France's recent history on the mainland and overseas, in an art installation being produced for an exhibition starting next month at the Pompidou Center in Paris. Shuck One is a Black graffiti and visual artist native of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, which is a French overseas department. He is participating in the 'Black Paris' exhibition, which retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The Pompidou Center, one of the world's top modern art museums, said that it will celebrate 150 artists of African descent, from Africa to the Americas, whose works have often never been displayed in France before. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Shuck One is one of five artists chosen to provide contemporary insights. 'I wanted to invoke the memory of the Black figures who created the 'Black Paris' and who, in a way, were pioneers before us in artistic, intellectual and other fields,' Shuck One told The Associated Press. 'It's a way for me to honor them.' Activist and artist Describing himself as 'an activist who became an artist,' Shuck One grew up in the 1970s in Guadeloupe. After he arrived in Paris in the 1980s, he was considered one of the pioneers of French street art and graffiti — inspired by figures of the Négritude movement that denounced colonialism, racism and Eurocentrism. His installation, titled 'Regeneration,' is four meters (13 feet) high and 10 meters (33 feet) long. It shows major moments of Black history through paintings and collages of maps of Paris, archives and photos. The starting point of the installation is the 'Tirailleurs Sénégalais,' a corps of colonial infantry in the French army that fought in both World Wars. One highlight is the May 1967 riots in Guadeloupe that led to the massacre of possibly dozens of people — figures are still being questioned by historians. Another feature is the BUMIDOM, a French state agency that between 1963 and 1981 organized the migration of 170,000 people from French overseas departments to the mainland for economic purposes, now considered by historians a symbol of post-colonial domination and discrimination. Portraits of Black figures It also shows portraits of Black figures, including politicians, writers, civil rights activists and other pioneers. They include U.S.-born entertainer and civil rights activist Joséphine Baker; Aimé Césaire, poet and founder of the Négritude movement; and American political activist Angela Davis. But there are also less known names like writer and activist Paulette Nardal; Eugénie Eboué, the first Black woman elected to France's National Assembly and Gerty Archimède, the second to be elected shortly after; and Maryse Condé, a novelist from Guadeloupe. 'The overall message of the exhibition is … to revive these forgotten figures, but also a next-generation aspect, a way to pass their history on," Shuck One said as he carefully studied the elaborate collage of photos and archive documents on a big wall of the exhibition. 'It's also a way of making people understand what's activism is about — (it's) very well to talk about the community, but it's also important to know its history," he said. The exhibition, which runs from March 19-June 30, is one of the last at the Pompidou Center before it shuts down later this year for renovations, which are due to last five years.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
French street artist Shuck One pays tribute to Black history at Pompidou Center in Paris
French street artist Shuck One is honoring Black figures who shaped France's recent history on the mainland and overseas, in an art installation being produced for an exhibition starting next month at the Pompidou Center in Paris. Shuck One is a Black graffiti and visual artist native of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, which is a French overseas department. He is participating in the 'Black Paris' exhibition, which retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The Pompidou Center, one of the world's top modern art museums, said that it will celebrate 150 artists of African descent, from Africa to the Americas, whose works have often never been displayed in France before. Shuck One is one of five artists chosen to provide contemporary insights. 'I wanted to invoke the memory of the Black figures who created the 'Black Paris' and who, in a way, were pioneers before us in artistic, intellectual and other fields,' Shuck One told The Associated Press. 'It's a way for me to honor them.' Activist and artist Describing himself as 'an activist who became an artist,' Shuck One grew up in the 1970s in Guadeloupe. After he arrived in Paris in the 1980s, he was considered one of the pioneers of French street art and graffiti — inspired by figures of the Négritude movement that denounced colonialism, racism and Eurocentrism. His installation, titled ' Regeneration,' is four meters (13 feet) high and 10 meters (33 feet) long. It shows major moments of Black history through paintings and collages of maps of Paris, archives and photos. The starting point of the installation is the 'Tirailleurs Sénégalais,' a corps of colonial infantry in the French army that fought in both World Wars. One highlight is the May 1967 riots in Guadeloupe that led to the massacre of possibly dozens of people — figures are still being questioned by historians. Another feature is the BUMIDOM, a French state agency that between 1963 and 1981 organized the migration of 170,000 people from French overseas departments to the mainland for economic purposes, now considered by historians a symbol of post-colonial domination and discrimination. Portraits of Black figures It also shows portraits of Black figures, including politicians, writers, civil rights activists and other pioneers. They include U.S.-born entertainer and civil rights activist Joséphine Baker; Aimé Césaire, poet and founder of the Négritude movement; and American political activist Angela Davis. But there are also less known names like writer and activist Paulette Nardal; Eugénie Eboué, the first Black woman elected to France's National Assembly and Gerty Archimède, the second to be elected shortly after; and Maryse Condé, a novelist from Guadeloupe. 'The overall message of the exhibition is … to revive these forgotten figures, but also a next-generation aspect, a way to pass their history on," Shuck One said as he carefully studied the elaborate collage of photos and archive documents on a big wall of the exhibition. 'It's also a way of making people understand what's activism is about — (it's) very well to talk about the community, but it's also important to know its history," he said. The exhibition, which runs from March 19-June 30, is one of the last at the Pompidou Center before it shuts down later this year for renovations, which are due to last five years.
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
French street artist Shuck One pays tribute to Black history at Pompidou Center in Paris
PARIS (AP) — French street artist Shuck One is honoring Black figures who shaped France's recent history on the mainland and overseas, in an art installation being produced for an exhibition starting next month at the Pompidou Center in Paris. Shuck One is a Black graffiti and visual artist native of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, which is a French overseas department. He is participating in the 'Black Paris' exhibition, which retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The Pompidou Center, one of the world's top modern art museums, said that it will celebrate 150 artists of African descent, from Africa to the Americas, whose works have often never been displayed in France before. Shuck One is one of five artists chosen to provide contemporary insights. 'I wanted to invoke the memory of the Black figures who created the 'Black Paris' and who, in a way, were pioneers before us in artistic, intellectual and other fields,' Shuck One told The Associated Press. 'It's a way for me to honor them.' Activist and artist Describing himself as 'an activist who became an artist,' Shuck One grew up in the 1970s in Guadeloupe. After he arrived in Paris in the 1980s, he was considered one of the pioneers of French street art and graffiti — inspired by figures of the Négritude movement that denounced colonialism, racism and Eurocentrism. His installation, titled 'Regeneration,' is four meters (13 feet) high and 10 meters (33 feet) long. It shows major moments of Black history through paintings and collages of maps of Paris, archives and photos. The starting point of the installation is the 'Tirailleurs Sénégalais,' a corps of colonial infantry in the French army that fought in both World Wars. One highlight is the May 1967 riots in Guadeloupe that led to the massacre of possibly dozens of people — figures are still being questioned by historians. Another feature is the BUMIDOM, a French state agency that between 1963 and 1981 organized the migration of 170,000 people from French overseas departments to the mainland for economic purposes, now considered by historians a symbol of post-colonial domination and discrimination. Portraits of Black figures It also shows portraits of Black figures, including politicians, writers, civil rights activists and other pioneers. They include U.S.-born entertainer and civil rights activist Joséphine Baker; Aimé Césaire, poet and founder of the Négritude movement; and American political activist Angela Davis. But there are also less known names like writer and activist Paulette Nardal; Eugénie Eboué, the first Black woman elected to France's National Assembly and Gerty Archimède, the second to be elected shortly after; and Maryse Condé, a novelist from Guadeloupe. 'The overall message of the exhibition is … to revive these forgotten figures, but also a next-generation aspect, a way to pass their history on,' Shuck One said as he carefully studied the elaborate collage of photos and archive documents on a big wall of the exhibition. 'It's also a way of making people understand what's activism is about — (it's) very well to talk about the community, but it's also important to know its history,' he said. The exhibition, which runs from March 19-June 30, is one of the last at the Pompidou Center before it shuts down later this year for renovations, which are due to last five years.
