Exhibition preserves African stories and culture for future generations

AUGMENTED reality artists Xabiso Vili and Sonwabo Valishaya form part of the young creatives from across the continent who are showcasing their works at the newly launched Fak’ugesi Digital Innovation Festival.

The hybrid event profiles work from 40 digital artists exhibiting their works in the virtual gallery space, also featuring new installations at the physical gallery at Tshimologong, in Joburg.

“Re/Member your Descendants,” is the collaborative work between Vili and Valishaya and the exhibition asks the question, “if you were an ancestor, what would your descendants call upon you for?”

“I collaborated with Xabiso on this project to be able to tell our African stories through our experiences and innovative ways. My work strives to preserve our way of being and our cultures, and with this project, we can do so, by questioning our ancestry and finding ways of connecting with the future,” said Valishaya.

Vili said that the idea grew from conversations he had with other artists about the way, “we are currently in the process of becoming ancestors and how everything we do now will be what our descendants call upon us for” in the future.

“Re/Member your Descendants is an interplay between the past, present and future. Utilising multiple artistic mediums, we begin to peel back the spiritual layer through the digital space. Augmented reality acts as a portal for us to access hidden truths about ourselves, our spiritual lives and how that relates to society today,” Vili added.

“The work is inspired by those who came before us, created by those who are here now, for those who will come after us. A forward-looking body of work that merges the spiritual with the digital and imagines new forms of collaborative storytelling,” he said.

The duo say they hope South Africans will enjoy the exhibition because it’s engaging and relatable.

“I am hoping the audience gets inspired by the exhibition and are also interested in learning more about their ancestry and where they come from.

“The exhibition tells their stories that they can relate to. It also has innovative ways of preserving our stories and culture for future generations,” added Valishaya.

For Vili, the work will be a “mirror” for many South Africans.

He explained: “It’s a reminder that even during these difficult times, we carry ancient magic with us. That we are that magic and that through our actions, we can bring about a country that we can be proud of.

“The beauty in these portraits, the enchantment isn’t something we made up. These are real people that inspired magical documentation of their spiritual worlds that reflect the spiritual world South Africa exists in.”

On his decision to be part of this project, Vili said: “This project called to me, as many of my poems and projects do. They arrive as whispers in dreams or as slivers through conversations and they build in my mind until they are their organisms, crafting themselves. It was their fearlessness that drew me closer to this project.”

Vili is an award-winning performer, writer, new media artist, producer and social activist.

“I am interested in how the creative process can be utilised as a tool for healing and therapy. Recently, I have been obsessed with how the stories we tell are spells that are weaved into the very fabric of reality to keep it alive. I am in the process of weaving those spells and helping others do the same. I hope for my creative process to be a deeply personal reflection of the power of our light and what space it occupies in this physical world,” he said.

In 2019, Vili was awarded a Digital Lab Africa Prize and created the Augmented Reality exhibition “Re/ Member Your Descendants”, which premiered at the NewImages Festival in Paris.

“The exhibition was well received and is still, in fact, touring France without us. I was excited to see how the diaspora engaged with it, which was one of my favourite takeaways; reviving ancestral conversations outside of Africa.

“I think the world craves African art because it carries an aesthetic that is constantly surprising overseas yet is commonplace for us,” Vili offered.

He also showcased his first projection mapping installation, Chosi Chosi, which was part of his residency development at the Cité Internationale Des Arts in 2021.

“My residency experience was truly inspiring,” said Vili.

“Living amongst and collaborating with artists from all over the world was affirming on two levels.

“One, that the South African art scene exists on a truly international level. We are blessed to have some of the best artists in the world.

“Two, it was personally affirming, in that this is where I am meant to be, this type of word class, forward-thinking, innovative work is my life and I am excited to create more far-reaching content that is continuously exploring the furthest reaches of what is possible.”

Valashiya is a graphic designer by profession and an illustrator by passion.

“My work captures the life of African aesthetics and celebrates the diversity of our cultures and identities as Africans. My art highlights the pride of our people and documents our history and heritage to preserve our way of being and where we come from.”

In 2018, he had his first solo exhibition Imbeleko, a collection of art that allowed him to explore his cultural background as a young Xhosa man and highlight the importance of African spirituality as a black person.

The exhibition is set to run till January 4.

For more information visit www. fakugesi.co.za.