BY FIONA MOTSA
MBABANE– A lifetime opportunity!
The Counsellor of Cultural Affairs from the Federal Republic of Germany Embassy in Pretoria Jesko von Samson and Anna-Louise Rolland from LIA, Leipzig visited Yebo Art Gallery in Eswatini to meet local visual artists.
As a result of the meeting, the German Embassy decided to offer three-month residencies in Leipzig/ Germany. The artists will spend three months in studios on the old spinning mill site in Leipzig, Spinnerei, surrounded by the historic atmosphere of the converted industrial buildings from the last century.
“Every culture lives from tradition, but without artists, there is no progress. Art can ignite a fire; it brings people together and creates connections from which inspiring energy can emerge. Art can make visible what connects us and build bridges between our countries. This was also the goal when we arranged a get-together in the wonderful Yebo Art Gallery,” Jesko von Samson said.
He further emphasized that the German Embassy was keen on understanding local artists and creating a relationship between them and European artists as well.
“The German Embassy would like to get to know the perspectives of the artists from Eswatini and bring them together with those of artists from Germany and Europe. I am looking forward to many future encounters and will support an increased exchange of artists between Eswatini and Germany,” he said.
Anna-Louise Rolland explained more about the LIA residency program and what it constitutes.
“A cultural exchange with African artists is something very special. Learning to understand each other, sharing experiences, discovering common ground, enjoying togetherness, but also acknowledging the historical and contemporary systems of power between Germany and Africa are central to inviting artists from Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa to Germany,” she said.
Director of Yebo Art Gallery Aleta Armstrong said she looked forward to exploring their connection further.
“We were very appreciative that they took the time to come to Eswatini to connect with artists. We all exchanged ideas and had great conversations and we are looking forward to exploring this connection further as it helps Yebo’s mission to grow the local creative economy and also share creative visions with artists from all around the world,” she said.
The Director further mentioned that an announcement with further information for local artists will be made shortly through Yebo’s social media pages.
