Artists: Anthony Bila (South Africa), Uzoma Chidumaga Orji (Nigeria), Sipho Gongxeka (South Africa)

The artists in this exhibition were selected via a pan-African open-call for their visionary work dealing with complex, socio-political issues; representations of the digital, Queer daily life in townships and societal responses to Lockdown.

Anthony Bila, the power(lessness) of (n)one, has created a new body of work for FORMAT21, that explores how lockdown restrictions have compromised our sense of autonomy, taking into consideration the individualism of western culture versus the concept of community often found in African and Eastern culture has impacted our sense of control.

Uzoma Chidumaga Orji, Welcome to Instaland, this new work invites us to explore a surrealistic landscape that reflects the realities of social media today and considers the relationship artists have with it.

Sipho Gongxeka, House of Realness, challenges long-held notions of how black queer individuals are expected to publicly perform their identities through a set of nostalgic images with an aesthetic that mimics a style of photography reminiscent of what a street photographer; working in township communities in the 1980s, might have captured.

This exhibition is organised by QUAD/FORMAT, in partnership with African Artists ’Foundation and Lagos Photo, Nigeria and presented as part of Here, There & Everywhere, an Africa/UK: Transforming Art Ecologies programme led by New Art Exchange.