Browsing by Author "Searle, Bernadette"

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    Bo Mmaruri: Bosadi
    (2021) Makgekgenene, Legakwana; Searle, Bernadette; Alexander Jane
    Post-colonial Botswana is analysed in this body of work as an anecdote. Its landscapes, history, culture, traditions, norms and identity are deconstructed and reconstituted in a heterotopia of my own making. Motivated by the decline in the momentum and visibility of Botswana's women's movements, the project asks how non-male resistance and self-determination has and can operate in Botswana, particularly in traditional and cultural spaces. In this work, I identify storytelling and folklore as a device that though culturally-specific, is reflected across nations on the continent, and so, allows a meditation on personal and national identity that is not restrictive or isolating as it must occur in constant reference to the culture(s) around it. Through my own works and the works of Thebe Phetogo, Meleko Mokgosi, Athi Patra-Ruga and Kudzanai Chuirai, I discuss the ‘making visual' of oral and folklore culture to highlight the interconnectedness of African narratives and oral storytelling/performing practices while deconstructing Botswana's conceptual basis, which this work sees as being folklore itself.
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    In the flesh
    (2022) Kim, Jueun; Searle, Bernadette; van der Schijff, Johann
    The core difference between machines and humans is that humans have consciousness and life, albeit some machines designed and created by humanity are able to make decisions, facilitate intellectual enhancements and even develop physically. Humanity is dependent on a network of machines and technologies that transfer power to and engage with residences, industries and day-to-day activities, and as much as it is humanity that advances technology, they equally evolve with and through technology. This ever-evolving technology has become so integrated with human bodies and minds that it has a disturbing range of control over critical aspects of their lifestyles, to the point that humanity may be functionally impaired without it. Humanity has mechanised the simple act of being human but continues to build machines and develop technologies that act, look and respond in an increasingly human way. It is no longer possible for humanity to simply switch the machines off, because if they do, they may switch themselves off as well. The artworks and associated written dissertation of In the Flesh, set out to explore the sensitive symbiotic relationship between humans and the machines.
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    Isitya esihle (asidleli)
    (2024) Nqaba, Nobukho; Brundrit, Jean; Searle, Bernadette
    This fine art project looks at my life story through exploring memories of growing up in Grabouw, a rural apple farming community outside of Cape Town. This community is marginalized due to socio-economic circumstances as a legacy of apartheid. I argue that autobiography has mostly been associated with written text, but the memoir and story of someone's life can also be told visually using visual imagery. I take the stance that autobiography is a tool in which my story - and that of my parents and community – connect and do this by drawing on objects and materials that are specific to my memories of growing up in the area. I unpack my life story through the family photo album. I elaborate on the absence of family photographs and how this has enabled me to find imaginative ways of retelling my past. I expand on how the community has mostly been represented, through journalistic reports, often presenting people in vulnerable and tragic positions. I state that my desire is for the community not to be presented in such ways, as it further perpetuates negative stereotypes about workers, and takes away their agency. I write about my mother who was a farm worker, her friend, and some of our neighbours who still live in the area and retell parts of their stories in imaginative and performative ways in the photographic studio, mining memories of my childhood. I describe some aspects of the artwork, such as photographs, installation, video, and books, elaborating on the narrative and themes behind them and their significance to me and the people involved in the project. I use the blue workers overalls prominently throughout the project, which are worn on the farm and are a marker of a person's social class. The overall aim of this project is to represent the community in a way that dignifies them. I am using art as an expressive tool to talk about pertinent issues. I aim, through this artwork, to bring awareness about the lived experiences of the Grabouw community, to shift mindsets about how the farming community and marginalized people are seen in broader society. This document is presented from a story-telling perspective and often incorporates everyday isiXhosa words to connect the project to a personal experience.