words, video and images by CHRIS WAIT
THERE SEEMS TO BE A BASIC PATTERN OR RATHER A CODE FIRMLY IMBEDDED IN THE REALITY OF ALL THINGS. A UNIVERSAL PROGRAMME WHOSE MOST BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS ARE THE POLAR OPPOSITES OF NIGHT AND DAY, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE, BEGINNING AND END, LIFE AND DEATH AND MALE AND… FEMALE. TENSION IS NEEDED TO STRETCH THE FABRIC OF REALITY IN ORDER TO UPHOLD ALL VISIBLE AND EXPERIENCEABLE STRUCTURES. THE OPPOSITES OF MALE AND FEMALE ATTRACTS TO CREATE. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ABSTRACTION. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE ON WHICH ALL THINGS SEEM TO FUNCTION. BETWEEN THE BEGINNING AND THE END THERE IS A LINE, A FINE WIRE ON WHICH WE ARE FORCED TO DANCE LIKE ACROBATS SIMULTANEOUSLY CURIOS AND AFRAID OF THE VOID BENEATH. IN THIS DANCE WE ARE ISOLATED BUT BINDED. PARADOX IS THE ONLY TRUTH. THERE IS NO WINNER. THERE ARE NO LOSERS.
VIDEO
(Copyright held by FREE WILD WORLD)
In the first days of summer on a late afternoon I approached the slightly off centre from Cape Town's CBD, narrow two storey building where the exhibition opening of Chantal Coetzee's latest work: A MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN, was about to kick off.
I have barely returned form an expedition to escape the city in which I spent the last two days in a shack with no electricity and I was not sure I was ready to take on any kind of social scene, but I was curious, not knowing that much about Chantal's work. She also mentioned that the wine would be superb and being a connoisseur of basically all alcoholic beverages ever created by humankind, this was not something I could resist.
Slipping from the Cape Town rainy gloom into the 3RD i GALLERY in 95 Waterkant Street I was greeted by a friendly young man at the entrance before following the sound of chatter up the narrow stairs.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: the artwork is bold and iconic, colourful and striking. It's a statement of fearlessness, of figures from the past that needs to be recognised.
I made my way through the growing crowd while greeting familiar faces to the table at the back, and yes, the snacks were gorgeous, delicately prepared by CHANTAL COETZEE’S daughter. (If I had a restaurant I would offer her a job on the spot, but I don’t, so I didn’t.)
THE WINE (BON COURAGE), is cultivated from the rich soil by fourth generation of winemakers in the Robertson Valley and it was of the export variety, in other words; the good stuff. It surely did not disappoint. Bold and beautiful wine paired with bold and beautiful food, art and a steadily growing bold and beautiful audience.
In the first ten minutes of my arrival I judged the event as a great success and I was suddenly very glad that I skipped the online movie and made the effort to attend.
