HALF ART
CHRIS THURMAN: Au Coeur de Mai 68 will bring contrast and commonality to the heart of Soweto
What would a pictorial history of French-African relations look like? There would no doubt be some colonial prints in such a vast array – European explorers "discovering" fauna and flora across the Sahara desert, down the Nile, in the Congo basin; portraits of noble savages (muscular and inscrutable) staring into the distance. Iconic paintings, from Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa to Biard’s Proclamation of the Abolition of Slavery in the French Colonies, might give part of the European perspective. The debt of French modernists like Picasso and Matisse to African sculpture would have to be acknowledged.A clutch of Nkisi figures could hint at shifting Central African responses to colonial encroachment on previously independent territories in the 19th century. The migration of artists such as SA’s Gerard Sekoto to France after the Second World War could provide another angle. There would also be thousands of photographs to process: occupying armies, imperial atrocities, liberatory str...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.