Dive deep into the Casspir Project with Ralph Ziman and Floyd Hall as they discuss Ziman’s creative journey, insights, and inspirations. Join us for a film screening of The Casspir Project’s documentary film followed by a conversation between the artist, Ralph Ziman, and Atlanta Contemporary Executive Director, Floyd Hall.
About The Casspir Project
The Casspir Project charts the locus of the South African military vehicle’s legacy of institutional oppression — a legacy with which we are still reckoning. The central element of the project is one of reclamation.
The central element of the project is one of reclamation. The restored and refitted Casspir vehicle, its surfaces fully covered in elaborate, brightly-colored panels of glass beadwork, arrayed in traditional patterns was completed by artisans from Zimbabwe and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, including women of the Ndebele tribe, known for their craftsmanship.
Since it’s debut SPOEK 1 has travelled throughout South Africa, stopping at The Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg (July 2017); Everard Read Gallery — Keys Art Mile, Johannesburg (July 2017); and The Melrose Gallery, Johannesburg (September 2017). The vehicle arrived in the United States in May this year and was part of Special Projects at the fourth edition of 1-54 New York and, most recently, was on view at Pioneer Works, New York through the summer.
I remember columns of Casspirs, ten or fifteen, heading for the East Rand Townships of Daveyton and Katlehong,” Ziman says. “Heavily armed paramilitary police sitting casually on the roofs brandishing automatic weapons. I remember Casspirs flying at high speeds down the narrow, potholed streets of Soweto. I remember how the South African police would park two Casspirs in the road to form a blockade, forcing drivers to slow into an S-shaped route for tense inspection.
Ralph Ziman’s practice is motivated by a sense of social responsibility toward global politics. Using imagery that is at once vivid and dark, he comments on serious issues such as life under apartheid, the arms trade and trophy hunting. His work extends across a variety of media, including film, photography, public intervention, sculpture, and installation.
CALLING ALL VENDORS! Atlanta Contemporary is accepting vendor applications for our annual Holiday Market. Application submission closes on October 15 at 11:59 pm. Atlanta Contemporary presents local artists and craftspeople who create temporary storefronts in our museum galleries.
Open Studios invites you to get to know the artists in our Studio Artist Program. Come see their work firsthand and just maybe add some art to your collection.
Join us for a transformative morning of movement and sound at Flow State, a one-hour immersive yoga experience led by Sydney McCall, accompanied by the live sounds.
