Francois Knoetze at Kinact 2018
Verraaier-Duiwelspiek 2016 ©Anton Scholtz
Francois Knoetze is a Cape Town based performance artist, sculptor and filmmaker known for his sculptural suits and experimental video art. Supported by Pro Helvetia’s ANT Mobility Grant, Knoetze takes part in the 3rd edition of Kinact, an international meeting of performing artists from 18 June – 24 July 2018 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kinact, an initiative of the Congolese collective EzaPossibles, was created following a performance/installation made by students at the Fine Arts Academy in Kinshasa, who wanted to express their displeasure at the academic modes of thinking and writing about art. The group began to produce performances and installations, hosting international artists and training young artists. Kinact takes place in the streets of Kinshasa through a rich programme of performing arts and pedagogical activities for children and the broader public. The project aims to create a dynamic platform to reimagine the contemporary art scene in Kinshasa, and to discover public spaces as zones of artistic intervention.
This year, Kinact will see collaborations between artists from DRC, Belgium, Germany, France, Morocco, Cameroon and South Africa. During the project, artists will attend a short residency together, followed by a press conference at the Fine Arts Academy (29 June). Artists and participants will also take part in a series of debates and discussions at the Contemporary Art Museum of Kinshasa.
Subsequently, the heart of the project begins: the artists will move through 5 areas of the city presenting the work they have created during the residency. Mornings are reserved for engagement with local children and afternoons and evenings are devoted to performances in people’s homes and in public, and to small public ‘pop-up’ exhibitions and installations.
