Cliford Zulu
National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo curatorial statement

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo is pleased to see the realisation of a digital art exhibition at Douslin house commissioned in partnership with UK partners arebyte Gallery. PowerPlay is a group exhibition featuring artists from Zimbabwe UK and South Africa working mostly with digital media. The exhibition is coming at a time when the NGZ is refocusing the presentation of exhibitions amidst the economic challenges and the COVID19 pandemic. 

Since 2006 when patronage declined due to migration and paucity of the tourism industry, efforts were made to reach out to new audiences and assist artists migrate to digital platforms for purposes of marketing their work. In 2012, Bulawayo artist Berry Bickle presented a digital artwork titled Zi. At the inaugural Zimbabwe Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2011 title SEEING OURSELVES. In 2012, Berry Bickle conducted a video art training titled: YOU HAVE 90 SECONDS to resident artists at the NGB and this saw local artists Aubrey Bango, Danisile Ncube and Fisani Nkomo explore digital art as a medium. Realising the need and power of digital art, the Gallery partnered in 2010 with Bulawayo radio station Radio Dialogue in a exhibition titled 'The truth will set you free’. A total of 15 laptops were presented to Bulawayo visual artists to further explore digital art. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by digital artists in Zimbabwe has and still remains access to the internet. The inability to commercialise digital art further dissuades active uptake of the medium by artists. The Gallery space is also not designed to present optimal presentation of digital art shows. The lack of digital equipment compounds the challenges. There is also confusion between graphic art and digital art, the former being widely offered by most tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe. It is for these reasons that the NGB has historically not pursued digital art vigorously.  

However, the donation of computers to the Gallery by the Embassy of Netherlands in 2013 served to provide tools for artists to explore digital art. Internet provision by Liquid Telecom has further improved access to internet by resident artists at the Gallery. The Alliance Francaise of Bulawayo has also supported the Gallery by hosting our website thus creating an avenue for promotion of digital art to the global community. On its part, the Gallery set up the John Knight cinema whose purpose is to show digital content by local artists and filmmakers. 

Through POWERPLAY, the NGB is turning a corner and digital art will systematically be integrated in our curatorial framework. This full scale and inaugural digital art exhibition is the catalyst to enable Zimbabweans to experience digital art on a different level. As the world re-opens after COVID19 induced lockdowns, more than ever, the digital platforms are presenting a great wake up call to the local practitioners and consumers. 

We look forward to the digital now and the digital future.

Cliford Zulu is the Curator at National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo