SPace for Nation-Building Lesbians (and Lulu?)
Honourable Minister (of Arts and Culture, Lulu Xingwana)
We were very disappointed by the fact that you – once again – neglected to open an art exhibition as scheduled. (The opening of SPace at Museum Africa on Monday 10 May 2010)
We staged a small but pointed intervention in your honour. About 100 people wore our “Nation-Building Lesbian” pink triangles. Yes, we do think that you are an Art(less)-Nazi.
Here, we don’t storm out of exhibitions that we were supposed to open (and sponsored) because they contain “pornographic” material (the pictures were very tame).
Here, we bother to find out what is on exhibit when we open an exhibition.
Here, we do not proclaim that art like this does not support nation-building. When did nation-building become Art’s job? This is not the USSR circa 1932*. (At least I hope not)
No More Nora, Lulu
*“Officially approved art was required to follow the doctrine of Socialist Realism. In the spring of 1932 the Central Committee of the Communist Party decreed that all existing literary and artistic groups and organizations should be disbanded and replaced with unified associations of creative professions. Accordingly, the Moscow and Leningrad Union of Artists was established on August, 1932, which brought the history of post-revolutionary art to a close. The epoch of Soviet art began.” (Wikipedia)
