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Indepth Arts News:
"Black and White Copies: A Collaborative Project Initiated by Miguel Petchkovsky (Angola, Netherlands)"
2001-09-25 until 2001-10-14
NSA Gallery
Durban, ,
ZA South Africa
Black and White Copies is an artist project initiated by Angolan born, Dutch artist Miguel Petchkovsky, in connection with the International Conference Against Racism. As the title of the project suggests, it looks to interrogate notions around identity – race, authenticity, original and copy. Petchkovsky – considered white in Angola, black in Portugal – his name of Portuguese and Russian descent – to whom the very questions of who am I, to whom and where, are especially pertinent.
This project is however not about Petchkovsky – as here he sees his role more as “artistic director”– in as much as he has set up the parameters within which he has invited the public, art students and professional artists to respond. Simply - he has hired a black and white photocopy machine that will be located at the Thekwini Business Development Centre, 127 Alice Street. Anyone and everyone were invited to come and make a maximum of 10 free photocopies between the 26-28 of August. In return, one copy was asked as a contribution to the project that will see a collation of these photocopies assembled into a publication and exhibition.
This compilation promises to be an interesting mix of “copies” in which the varying interpretations of original, authentic and identity in the context of Durban, South Africa in the moment that it hosted the International Conference Against Racism, 2001. The “Black and White Copies” process accompanied the exhibition “Amazwi Abesifazane (Voices of Women)” – organised by Andries Botha under the guise of Create Africa South (a non-profit visual arts organisation).
Petchkovsky collaborated with Durban artists, students and the general public to realise this project.
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