Launch of the JCAF Journal
The inaugural JCAF Journal: Interdisciplinary Knowledge from the South was launched on 1–2 December 2023 with a programme that included a symposium with contributing authors Pamila Gupta, Helena Chávez Mac Gregor and artist Nandipha Mntambo, as well as a performance of Pictures Reframed by Robin Rhode and Qden Blaauw, and the jazz performance Elusive Dreams in Jozi by the Afrikan Freedom Principle, led by Mandla Mlangeni.
Pictures Reframed is a unique performance centred around Modest Mussorgsky’s classical piano suite, combining music and Rhode’s signature visuals. The performance was presented in South Africa for the first time and performed by prodigy Qden Blaauw.
Elusive Dreams in Jozi explores the cacophony of rhythms, harmonies and melodies that invoke the spirit of the city affectionately known as Jozi. From the interlocking sounds of the mbira, to the call and response chants of isicathamiya, the sounds of Johannesburg have been kneaded by a propulsive energy struggling to be defined by a singular character.
The journal reflects on JCAF’s curatorial programme and research initiatives over the past three years: the first research theme, Female Identities in the Global South (2020–2022), focused on exhibiting only women artists as a way of amplifying the voices of those historically underrepresented in museum collections and exhibitions across the globe. The journal is available for free in an online digital format.