(Accra, 12/01/2024) The African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of Witwatersrand is excited to announce the launch of the Atlas of Uncertainty, an innovative initiative calling for applications from visual artists based in Accra, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. The project invites artists to explore the vibrant gateway neighbourhoods within these cities and will accept applications until Friday 9th February 2024.
Project Information
Utilising new survey data, qualitative research, and various artistic practices, the Atlas of Uncertainty focuses on gateway neighbourhoods such as Madina, Old Fadama, and Jamestown in Accra, Ghana; Kawangware, Kayole, and Ongata Rongai in Nairobi, Kenya; and Berea, Katlehong, and Diepsloot in Johannesburg, South Africa. The project investigates how individuals in fragmented, uncertain, and mobile cities shape their futures and urban spaces.
Envisioned as a multi-dimensional project, the Atlas will include interactive web components, installations/exhibitions, and a book, capturing these urban movements' diverse and unpredictable nature. The project calls for artistic responses across various mediums, including photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, digital art, mixed media, textile art, and ceramics.
The assessment of applications will be conducted in collaboration with esteemed local partners, including The GoDown Arts Centre, Arts & Culture Trust, Terra Alta, and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.
Twenty-four selected artists will be invited to engage with and reimagine the research themes over three months, weaving their narratives into the thematic underpinnings of the research through dialogues and collaboration. The culmination will be a digital and physical atlas and exhibition in 2024/2025, encapsulating the emerging urban realities on the continent and exploring new ways of reimagining and representing African urban spatiotemporal journeys.
Key Details:
- Project: Atlas of Uncertainty
- Locations: Accra, Nairobi, and Johannesburg
- Mediums: Photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, digital art, mixed media, textile art, ceramics
- Amount awarded: $2500 for commission. Artists retain ownership of works
- Deadline: Friday 9 February 2024, 17:00 (GMT)
- Application form: www.atlasofuncertainty.com
Submission Guidelines:
1. Check out our website for more information on the project and some of the themes.
2. Complete the application form, including a brief artist statement, attaching your proposed idea and examples of previous work.
3. Submit the application form before Friday 9th February 2024.
For more information or to submit your application, please visit the application website [here](www.atlasofuncertainty.com). For inquiries, please contact carinakanbi@gmail.com.
The Atlas of Uncertainty seeks to cultivate diverse artistic responses, contributing to a deeper understanding of the complex realities within these urban spaces. We eagerly anticipate witnessing your interpretations of these gateway neighbourhoods and the rich tapestry of stories they hold.