Roger Ballen was chosen as one of the three artists to represent South Africa at the 59th Biennale Arte 2022 titled “The Milk of Dreams”. South Africa’s national exhibition for Biennale Arte 2022 reflects the theme ‘Into the Light’ which complements the overarching theme ‘The Milk of Dreams’.
In order to fully grasp the existential threats facing humanity, and consequently redefine how we interact with our ecosystems and other species, we must first understand and define ourselves, our vision and our goals. This requires earnest introspection and self-discovery through delving into the alternate realm of fantasy and imagination, as key elements of our psyche are often buried in the subconscious. In the daily hubbub of normal life, this process of introspection is often deferred due to more pressing priorities.
Roger Ballen’s Artworks’ description
Ballen’s The Theatre of the Apparitions was initially inspired by the sight of hand-drawn carvings on blacked-out windows in an abandoned women’s prison in South Africa. The artworks are photographs of drawings that the artist made on windows inside a building in Johannesburg. By inventing various techniques using materials such as spray-paints, epoxies, resins, emulsions and brushes, the artist created an otherworld in which transient, ghost-like figures perform. For Ballen, the photographs of these figures and the absurd activities in which they engage, present the unfathomable and primal scenes of our mental unconscious.
In particular, The Theatre of Apparitions is a place in which dreams, imaginative scenes and primordial memory from the afterworld manifest themselves. These spirits or ghosts are imperceptible to the eye, yet they are deeply embedded in our consciousness and in our being.
South Africa website for Venice Biennale Arte 2022:
https://www.artsa-venicebiennale.org/
Roger’s page:
https://www.artsa-venicebiennale.org/roger-ballen/
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