KELLNER, CLIVE
This book explores how the life and work of South African artist Kendell Geers can be seen to constitute a living archive of political turmoil, protest against injustice, and the effects of globalization.
In his provocative, often humorous, but always compelling work, Kendell Geers employs various media such as installation, drawing, video, performance, and photography. For two decades his art has been closely linked to the political and cultural environments of his homewhether in South Africa or Europe. This volume explores in particular the trajectories of two decade-long periods. The first, a political phase, runs from 1988 to 2000, during which time Geers explored the moral and ethical contradictions of apartheid. By appropriating historical events and ideas, he focused on questions of the relationship between individual and society. The second period was initiated by Geerss move to Brussels in 2000. This European period is characterized by a poetic aesthetic as Geers transferred his artistic practice into a postcolonial and increasingly global context, exploring themes such as terrorism, spirituality, and mortality. This volume features a number of essays addressing aspects of Geerss work as well as an interview with the artist.
