• Home
  • PERFORMANCE
  • VIDEO/INSTALLATIONS
  • OBJECTS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT

Feeds:
Posts
Comments

2011: Container

CONTAINER 2011, C-Type print on aluminum, Edition of 5, artist proof, 60cm x 43cm.  Turmeric, cow dung, soil, grass and labour, hole size 5m x 1.2m. Production still of performative sculptural intervention, Bodh Gaya, India

CONTAINER For this work I created an invisible public sculpture. I wanted to draw attention to the momentary, performative nature of the experience of art.

In order to do this I decided to create a large-scale, process-based sculptural intervention in the park, one that could organically disappear without leaving any trace of its presence at the site. I decided to work with a number of labourers to dig a hole that forms the shape of a container or ‘bowl’ in the earth.
This shape was smoothed out and covered with cow dung. Finally another layer of turmeric (or ‘haldi’ as it is locally known) was added. The hole was left open for two days after which point it was filled with soil and neatly covered with the original grass layer. At this point the work became invisible again.

A number of conceptual threads are woven into the work:

India and South Africa are historically connected by way of the so-called Spice Route plotted during the 15th-17th century by European traders. The Cape of Good Hope was established as a resupply camp for the traders of the Dutch east India Company  (who regularly traveled to south-east Asia in search of spices).

Haldi (or turmeric) is known in many parts of India as a particularly auspicious spice that is associated with marriage – thus signalling a co-joining of two different parties into a single union.

India is in fact home to one of the first great universities in the world, namely Nalanda University ( fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE)  – a fact I often pondered whilst staying in the province of Bihar (where Nalanda was also located). Today very few people know of this historical center of learning and one might say it has all but disappeared from view.

Like this:

Like Loading...

  • Archives

  • Pages

    • PERFORMANCE
      • 2003: Bind/Ontbind Series
      • 2004-6: Outpost Series
      • 2006: The Theory of Gravity
      • 2008/9: Vox Populis/ Vox Dei
      • 2008: Come in peace/ Go to pieces (2008)
      • 2008: Traffic
      • 2008: Twilight
      • 2010-12: Incantation Series
      • 2010/11: Recital
      • 2010: Biblioclast (Action with Afrikaans/Dutch Dictionary)
      • 2010: Figurehead
      • 2010: Host 1
      • 2011: Container
      • 2011: Licked Colony
      • 2011: Thank you
      • 2013: For Linnaeus
      • Fountain (Date Withheld)
      • …other performances
    • VIDEO/INSTALLATIONS
      • 2002: The pencil test series
      • 2003: Violence and Happiness
      • 2004: The Labyrinth
      • 2005: The Minotaur Series 12
      • 2006: The Theory of Evolution
      • 2006: The Theory of Flight
      • 2007: Ascension
      • 2007: Birth of a Tyrant (2007)
      • 2007: Terms of endearment
      • 2008: Challenging Mud (After Kazuo Shiraga)
      • 2008: Outpost 4
      • 2008: The Theory of Displacement
      • 2009: Panopticon
      • 2010: blood rites/ eat your words
      • 2010: Host II
      • 2010: Illumination
      • 2010: Shellshock
      • 2011: Flow
      • 2019: Recital: Decoy
    • OBJECTS
      • 2007: Looking for Lucy
      • 2007: Molotovmammas
      • 2007: Philistine rules/ Did you know?
      • 2007: The OK Revolution
      • 2009: Vessel – Perfect Lovers
      • 2010: Gold works
      • 2010: Knobkierie
      • 2010: Recital (Lend me your ears)
      • 2010: Songbirds
      • 2011: Workhorse (with Guy Du Toit)
      • 2012: Fallen – monument for throwing…
      • 2013: The Animal Series
        • …….Collaborative large-scale etchings
        • …….Drawings
        • …….Mahout (video)
        • …….Photographs
        • …….Sculptures with Guy Du Toit
      • 2014-15: Faust the African Series
      • 2016: Promises, promises…
      • 2016: Selfportrait as an ass
      • 2016: Selfportrait with skull
      • 2017: The Hanging Garden
      • 2019: Houseboat
      • 2020: Houseboat #2
    • ABOUT
      • Artist statement
      • Press
      • Shortened CV
      • Interviews
        • 2003: Interview with Carine Zaayman
        • 2006: Interview with Willem Boshoff
        • 2007: Interview with David Koloane (2007)
        • 2008: Interview with Peter Machen
        • 2008: Radio Papesse Interview as part of ‘.za: Young Art From South Africa’
        • 2009: Johan Thom interviewed by Sarah Claire Picton
        • 2010: The ghosts wish to remember: Interview with Petra Zemljič
        • 2018: The Aestheticized Interview with Johan Thom (South Africa) – Kisito Assangni for ArtDependence
      • Authored
        • David Koloane (1938–2019) – Artforum International
        • Kendell Geers at the Steven Friedman, London
        • Life intimidating art, The Diplomat, Sept/Oct 2007
        • Roger Ballen at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, 2007
        • The sleeping monster produces reasons : Diane Victor
        • Santu Mofokeng (2010)
        • The sense of fresh air (2010)
        • Taming the Trojan Horse: Disarming the Politics of Otherness in a Postcolonial (African) Context
    • CONTACT
  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • johanthom.com
    • Join 38 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • johanthom.com
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: