Fak’ugesi African Digital Residency announces line-up of artists
The Fak’ugesi Digital Africa Residency starts today

Fak’ugesi African Digital Residency announces line-up of artists

The Fak’ugesi Digital Africa Residency, a creative residency to support young digital creatives and innovators, has announced its fifth and most expansive artist’s residency that takes place from today (August 8) until September 9.

First established in 2014, the Residency this year includes artists from Cairo, New Delhi and Geneva, together with an artist from South Africa and another from Zimbabwe, supporting regional connection and networks in the digital arts.

Festival Director Tegan Bristow, says that this extended Residency is an exciting one.

“This year we will see creative technologists dive deep into the algorithms, patterns and fractals of their indigenous cultures,” said Bristow.

“Each will endeavour to respond to the 2018 Fak’ugesi Festival theme, in which we explore the role that vernacular and traditional cultures have in digital culture and practices.”

Bristow added that the Residency will receive ongoing support from Pro Helvetia and the ANT Fund via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

“We are excited to be collaborating with Pro Helvetia again and to be extending the Residency with them,” she said.

“The 2018 inclusion of North Africa, South Asia and Switzerland, alongside our annual SADC focus is part of a 2018 programme by Pro Helvetia to celebrate the anniversaries of their offices, in Cairo (30 years), Johannesburg (20 years) and New Delhi (10 years).”

The Head of Pro Helvetia’s Johannesburg office, Joseph Gaylard, said: “The residency brings a new generation of aspirant practitioners from these cities together with more experienced artists from India, Switzerland and Johannesburg, in order to plant new furrows of transnational connection and collaboration in the digital arts field beyond its traditional home in the Anglo-American-European world.

“We do so in the belief that this alternate geography will be an important source of new thinking and practice at the intersection of culture, art and technology in the coming years.”

The Residents will be hosted by the brand new Tshimologong Maker Space and the Wits School of Arts Point of Order Gallery. There will also be a final exhibition that will open September 4 at Point of Order Gallery.

The Residency will incorporate a special project by Swiss artist, Marc Lee, which focuses on language diversity in online media. Lee will act as mentor for the residents, and will also be offering a Master class, open to the public on September 7.

This year’s Fak’ugesi Residency artists include: Nkhensani Mkhari (Johannesburg), Joshua Chiundiza (Harare), Yara Mekawei (Cairo), Abhiyan Humane (New Delhi), Anoop Saxena (New Delhi), and Mathilde Buenerd (Geneva).

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