Artist in residence: Zen Marie

Durban born artist, Zen Marie, has had a well documented interest in public spaces and how they work and this will be the basis of his month long  research residency in Geneva.

Marie’s residency will work through the processes of conversations and actions in Geneva to explore ideas of how formal and informal urban structures work in sometimes antagonistic relationships.

The research will draw on his previous site specific work especially the “Caught by Traffic” (will link to this)project, which focuses on Dakar, Durban and Bangalore but also other city specific work in Johannesburg, Reunion Island, Strasbourg, Netherlands and Dakar.

While in Geneva, Marie will be collaborating with the .perf collective (will link to them) in developing ideas and meanings that flow around the city, its space, its people and its monuments.  The collective is made up of Madeleine Amsler and Marie-Eve Knoerle who have been co-curating performances and events since 2012. Amsler was also part of a delegation of visual arts people from Switzerland that was hosted by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg in 2015 in the context of Joburg Art Week and VANSA’s PANIC Symposium in 2015.

.perf will also support the research period of Marie’s visit by putting him into contact with scientists and artists working in similar areas of interest.

 Marie is one of South Africa’s leading artists and art scholars and holds a Masters Degree from the University of Amsterdam.  The research conducted in Geneva will also be an important moment in developing ideas for his PhD project to be completed through Wits University.

Marie is currently a lecturer at the Wits School of Arts.