Free Saturday Workshop #2: Place bunting – Layers of memories with Seven Alexa Manschot

Not Quite There, but Here With Me is a series of five workshops led by Seven Alexa Manschot, inspired by Moshekwa Langa’s exhibition You will find us in the best places. Just as Langa does in his work, we explore how we can transform personal memories and experiences into images and objects. Using everyday objects as building blocks and our own associations as a driving force, we learn more about what is uniquely ours in a creative way.

Among other things, we’ll be making a wearable amulet and a personal memory game. We’ll play with stories, materials and flavours, and discover how something that is initially ordinary can take on an unexpected personal meaning. You don’t need to be an artist or know exactly what you want to make; curiosity is enough.

Be inspired by Langa’s exploration of identity, memory and everyday materials, and discover how your own perspective makes the world special.

PROGRAM:

31 October: Workshop #1 – Heartbeads – What do you carry with you?

7 November: Workshop #2 – Place bunting – Layers of memories

14 November: Workshop #3 – Me-mory

21 November: Workshop #4 – Quite like me

28 November: Workshop #5 – Identitea

Workshop #2 – Place bunting – Layers of memories

We’ll be looking at how Langa takes existing maps apart and turns them into a personal landscape. What happens when you no longer use a map to show exactly where something is, but to express what a place means to you? Participants create a ‘place bunting’ – a garland of memories of places.

With a garland, we celebrate a place, as it were, and above all the memories it carries with it. Participants choose places that are important to them. They then collect materials they associate with these places; anything can represent that place without literally depicting it. The various fragments are brought together to form a personal celebration of memories. The bunting is hung up at the end of the workshop and participants view and ask questions about each other’s ‘place bunting’. Afterwards, they are welcome to take the bunting home with them