Italian artist to showcase Muslim identity at Cape Town art fair
Cape Town - Italian artist Maïmouna Guerresi will represent Italy at the upcoming Cape Town Art Fair with works that examine the role of African Muslim women in the socio-political and ever-contentious migrant sphere. The sixth edition of the Cape Town Art Fair, which are organised by the South African branch of Italian exhibition and conference company Fiera Milano, will take place from February 16-18 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The event will showcase works by over 75 established and emerging artists from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Italy and the UK. This is the first time the multimedia artist - who practices photography, sculpture, video and installation - will visit Cape Town, although her work have previously been exhibited at the 2016 edition of the art fair. She will represent the Galleria Officine Dell'Immagine in Milan. Guerresi was invited to participate in the SOLO section of the event by guest curator Nontobeko Ntombela. The newly introduced SOLO section focuses on the artistic production of women artists, examining the widespread socio-political issues faced by women in both public and private spheres, while also highlighting their contribution to the art world. The chosen artists offer presentations utilising a wide variety of mediums and themes, all with an idiosyncratic perspective on life and art. Born in Italy and coverting to Islam after living in Senegal, Guerresi says the aim of the works that she will be exhibit at the event is to interpret different aspects of Mulim spirituality, that is its cultural facets and its syncretism. "The first (work) is a visual vocabulary which affirms the spiritual value of the Muslim woman, in particular the African woman, by highlighting her socio-cultural qualities which, in my interpretation, takes on the identity of a strong woman able to dissolve the distinctions between the masculine and feminine genres."In addition to the photographic work, I also present an installation entitled "Asylum/Polyptych", which is a wordplay derived from the photographic polyptychs that are often present in my work and the word political asylum. The installation consists of three steel bed stretchers on which are painted the names of women in Arabic calligraphy. The title refers to a quest for acceptance and understanding, for a new inner identity and a continuous reflection through the knowledge of oneself in relation to society." Guerresi says her experiences of life between Italy and Senegal and the interactions between these two opposing worlds have greatly influenced her artistic practice. "For me Senegal is a place for personal retreat and creative expression. The holy places are for me a charge of spiritual energy that stimulates me and is continually an incredible source of inspiration for my work." Her work has been extensively exhibited in solo and group shows all over Europe, Africa, the United States, Asia, and the Middle East.