TRANSCENDING REALITIES AND GENERATIONS
One of the most powerful things about art is the ability to move us humans in different ways but at the same time as a symbiotic collective, independent of who we are or where in the world we are located. One of the powerful aspects of Modisakeng’s art is the dynamic between the deeply personal side of his visions and the relatability to various communities. With one piece, is it possible to tap into different realities that share the same concept? For Modisakeng, “The balance between the personal and the collective is often what makes the artwork legible to people that might have lived through the same socio-political challenges.” Passage 17’ is a work that reflects this perspective clearly. A commissioned work by the South African Department of Arts and Culture for the 57th International Art Exhibition in Venice. Passage 17’ is a “three-channel projection that meditates on slavery’s dismemberment of African identity and its enduring erasure of personal histories.” In this work, Modisakeng reflects the reality of African displacement and the gradual consequences of this on one’s body, mind, and soul. A hauntingly beautiful piece of work has the ability to connect to so many different people and remain relevant from distinct perspectives. This work also happened to fall into the time frame of the height of the refugee crisis. In 2017, thousands of refugees were washing up on the coasts of Europe in overcrowded boats that often sank or capsized. So, from a different perspective, this work can also speak to the reality of forced migration due to a lack of basic resources or safety issues.
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