Tuesday, 19 Mar 2024
Month: November 2012

Cover of the catalogue The Nude 2000 Exhibition

Nudity? It is Artistic Expression and Free Speech (part II)

In this second part of a three-part essay, Angelo Kakende reviews many of the paintings depicted in Nude 2000 and Nude 2001: “In summing up, Nude 2001 grew from the success of Nude 2000; the two shows had a common agenda of mystifying the naked body. I however submit that that is not what is should be remembered for. In my opinion, it should be remembered for providing an occasion of the artists to explore the nude for art and for purposes of contributing to socio-political discussions in the country.”

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Dance Transmissions Festival 2012, outside National Theatre.

Dance Transmissions Festival 2012: A dialogue in dance

The 3rd Dance Transmissions Festival (DTF) 2012 began in earnest with a flashmob of dancers who were new to contemporary dance as the opening act. It was a chance for new entrants to the genre to get an experience of what it means to be a contemporary dancer. Samuel Lutaaya, a dancer and choreographer himself, reviews DTF ’12 for startjournal.org, and explains why some pieces worked while other failed.

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Ras Kasozi at Vancouver Fashion Week 2012. Photographer: Kuna Lu (Kuna Photography).

Ras Kasozi’s road to Vancouver

Winning an award at a big fashion show like the Vancouver Fashion Week can be a daunting task. More so if you are little known at home, barely in your thirties and your siblings think you are nothing more than a tailor. By far, his claim to being known locally as a fashion designer was a small stint at the Bayimba International Festival 2010 where his collection came out as the best. This is Ras Kasozi’s road to international fame, and it started humbly.

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Cover of the catalogue The Nude 2000 Exhibition

Nudity? It is Artistic Expression and Free Speech (part I)

In this first part of a three-part essay, Angelo Kakende relates the recent Nude 2012-exhibition at FasFas to former Nude 2000 and Nude 2001-exhibitions held at Nommo Gallery. He looks beyond the claim for the aesthetic appeal, and attends two ways in which the production and circulation of the nude in contemporary Ugandan art in general and nude exhibitions in particular fuses the line between aesthetics and pornography; art and non-art.

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Artworks by Ronex. (Photo by Alex Lyons for KLA ART 012)

Kampala Contemporary Art Festival: Setting new trends in art exhibitions

“It had never occurred to me that setting up twelve shipping containers across the city could account for a festival, but it certainly did when the shipping containers were translated into art exhibition points. This was the Kampala Contemporary Art Festival dubbed ‘12 artists, 12 locations’ and it ran from 7th-14th October with a theme ‘12 Boxes Moving’.” Elizabeth Namakula reviews.

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Nawany on stage with Milege Band, Kampala 2012

Nawany: A sensitive Karamojong

“Through the systematic collection and display of culture, the Milege band managed to create an integrated multiculturally diverse experience for both foreigners and native Ugandans. It beckoned to the feeling that music is truly the space of multiculturalism, that does not have neither race, class nor tribe as guide posts. Nawany is a representation of that multiculturally integrated Uganda to come.” Serubiri Moses reviews for startjournal.

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Amakula: A journey of a thousand miles

Amakula International Film Festival in Uganda has been in existence for the past 8 years. Samuel Lutaaya has interview two industry players with different views about Amakula’s impact. Dilman Dila can not see how Amakula is promoting Ugandan films within Uganda, while the festival manager Nathan Kiwere thinks Amakula has played an instrumental role in building capacity of filmmakers.

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Detail from 'The Stride'

Five monuments in Kampala from the first 50 years of independence

The monument “The Journey” was unveiled at the Kololo airstrip during then celebration of the 50 years of independence. The five youthful individuals represent the five decades Uganda has passed through as an independent state. Nakisanze Segawa looks at this one and some of the most significant monuments that represent Uganda’s past and the future.

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The writer.

Art reflects society and its peculiarities

“Ancient African art was characteristic of realism and consciousness. Be it visual arts, music, literature, if you retrospectively gave it a thought you will realize that these two features were more or less the pillars that aesthetically sustained it; and the underlying reason why a lot of people will still say antique art still surpasses modern art. They dag into a wide range of topics that homed in on politics, romance, social science, and the likes (scruples of this are still apparent). Nonetheless, today I’m afraid I feel that what I comprehend as the true essence of art has been watered down.” Lutakome ‘FELIX’ Fidelis writes for startjournal.

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