adminmaintain a healthy heartbeat in the visual arts. Taking stock of the state of the visual arts enables us to re-design and develop a sustainable roadmap for the future of our visual arts.
The crux of my articles in the column “Art Zone” is to build sustainable human and institutional capacity for the arts. The intention is to create and foster an interface between society in general, the business, legal, educational, health and tourism sectors with the arts in the process building a viable and visible arts sector.
Awareness and appreciation of the visual arts grew noticeably in 2011; this could be largely attributed to the increased electronic and print media coverage, as more journalists took to covering the visual arts in Zimbabwe. However, the standard of arts reportage and criticism still falls far short of regional, let alone of international standards, and much needs to be done to redress this anomaly. Zimbabwe has the least knowledgeable and educated art journalists and art critics in Africa, and indeed the world, none of whom hold a masters degree, let alone a diploma in the visual arts.
The sterling communications outreach programme carried out at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, by their Press and public relations officer, saw many cultural events, art exhibitions, and film previews being hosted by the National Gallery – fulfilling the objective to make the arts and art gallery more accessible to the Zimbabwean public. This commendable public education strategy ensured greater visibility of the visual arts.
In 2011, I have traversed most aspects of the visual arts in my discourse, analysis and critiques on the state of the arts in Zimbabwe.
The modus operandi of Art Zone was to address and articulate ideas about the profession that bolster the viability and human potential of the visual arts. The fulcrum of my articles included the education and appraisal the professional aspects of the visual arts. I addressed the socio-cultural, legal, economic, pecuniary, health, and other aspects of the visual arts in Zimbabwe, which also included the notion of post-colonial African aesthetics and the trajectory of Zimbabwean visual arts in relation to the rest of the world.
The year began with an instalment on restitution which examined ways in which Zimbabwe and other African countries can retrieve their stewardship of their art and cultural treasures, such as the Zimbabwe Birds, golden rhinoceri, coinage and currency from the Munhumutapa dynasties.
The article engendered the need for a re-connection with African sensibilities and served as evidence of African socio-cultural achievements.
May 2011 saw “Re-Branding Zimbabwe through Art”, an article suggesting ways to boost cultural tourism through the visual arts. The thorny topic of the abuse of intellectual property and copyright law for the visual arts was also discussed. So were legal issues pertaining to “Photography and the Law”.
The occupational and health hazards of metal and stone sculpture, as well as other art forms were clearly articulated in order for us to preserve the lives of the artists who produce the work and the patron who views or comes into contact with the art.
The protection of the artists from piracy, especially on the internet, was brought to light mid-year. In the article, the need was emphasised to for proper legislation to be tabled and enforced. April, the Independence month, saw an article advocating for the creation of war museums to record the liberation struggles of Zimbabwe from pre-colonial times to 1980.
The importance of a repository of images of our liberation struggles was brought to light in an article entitled “Art Images of the Liberation Struggle”. Such a museum would also provide employment for many suitably qualified personnel.
Honoraris causa – “How Great Thou Art” – was a topical issue which advocated the issuance of honorary degrees to deserving, long-serving Zimbabwean artists, designers, novelists, writers, and playwrights, to grant them civic and academic accreditation.
In an article entitled “Zimbabwe Visual Artists Financially Exploited” I took umbrage at the arts administration for their unfair treatment and monetary exploitation of the visual artists. It is only fair that the visual artists of Zimbabwe are financially rewarded and promoted in a respectful manner.
The need for Zimbabwe to protect its cultural patrimony and to regain its sense of proprietors of our national treasures was covered in an article entitled “The Ethnocide of the Art of Batonga Bamu Zimbabwe”. The article looked at the uncontrolled exportation of African artefacts, antiquity and memory.
Conceptualising art in local languages was discussed in the article “The Need to Decolonise our Art”.
Here I looked at language and art as a medium through which intellectual, spiritual and socio-cultural cohesion can be re-assembled in post-colonial Zimbabwe. The use of indigenous languages in the creation and production of visual art is of utmost importance.
The highlight of the year and historic millstone was Zimbabwe’s entry to the Venice Biennale, from May to November, 2011. Our entry to the Biennale was single-handedly, painstakingly campaigned for, and orchestrated by the curator Raphael Chikukwa in his first few months at the National Gallery – a commendable feat indeed.
Recent studies in psychiatry and clinical psychology was discussed in an article “Fine Line Between Art and Madness”, which sought to highlight ways to safeguard the mental health of artists in general.
The HIV/Aids pandemic which accounted for the erosion of our burgeoning cultural resource base, which in this case are the visual artists, was discussed from both the angle of the works being produced, as a tool to disseminate public awareness of the pandemic, and to prevent the further spread of the disease.
The Art of Flag Heraldry and the laws pertaining to the court of the realm were articulated in an article advocating the need to uphold the virtues of our National Flag and understand the conventions of flag design.
The Artist’s Charter, complied last year in April, and purports to safeguard the interests of artists legally in the new constitution, came to light late in the year has been endorsed by David Coltart, Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture. Blatantly absent in this charter was the lack of consultation with visual arts professionals, and the understanding and knowledge of the profession of the visual artists.
Such important national issues cannot be drafted overnight without proper comprehensive in-inclusive research and consultations with all concerned members of the profession.
Art works are condensed records of our civilisation, they reveal and record ideas, philosophies, histories and social values held by our society.
It is important that we nurture the arts professionally. Government and the private sectors should prioritise the development of our arts and cultural infrastructure and education.
2012 promises to be the year of incontrovertible expression of freedom and societal progress. The visibility and reawakening of our visual arts in the international art world should trigger an enhanced capacity for artists to attain world repute.
l Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD in Art Theory and Philosophy and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) in Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, art critic, practising artist and corporate image consultant.
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