Join us for the arrival of the Casspir Project with artist Ralph Ziman. Visitors are invited to view this wonderful piece throughout the evening while stopping by the outdoor bar or visiting the galleries inside.
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.
Join us Saturday, May 24, from 12 pm-5 pm for an exclusive pop-up record store with Stokely’s Records! Swing by, put a record on, and browse the collection for sale, curated by Le’Shawn Taylor.
Join us for a special walkthrough of TALL AND WILD: Atlanta 1984–1994 with artist and curator Rosa Duffy, whose work explores identity, heritage, and the power of storytelling.
Join us for an intimate and thought-provoking conversation between Rosa Duffy—archivist, artist, and founder of Endless Editions ATL—and Floyd Hall, Executive Director of Atlanta Contemporary, as they discuss her exhibition "Tall and Wild" and reflect on the living archive of Black craft and memory in Atlanta.
