‘William Kentridge: A Shadow of a Shadow’ delves into the renowned South African artist’s innovative use of drawing, theatre, and film. Curated by Tarek Abou El Fetouh in collaboration with Hoor Al Qasimi, this exhibition at Sharjah’s Bait Al Serkal marks Kentridge’s first solo showcase in the Middle East.
William Kentridge, Ubu Tells the Truth, 1996–1997. From ‘Ubu’, 1996–1997. Image courtesy of Kentridge Studio. © William Kentridge
The artist, actor, and filmmaker William Kentridge was born in 1955 in South Africa. Kentridge obtained a degree in Politics and African Studies before studying art, and his artistic practice is inspired by the socio-political struggles in South Africa.
During the 1980s, Kentridge moved to Paris and studied mime and theatre. He has also explored moving pictures and shadow puppetry, though all his films and animations develop from charcoal drawings and lines. These preparatory drawings are at the root of Kentridge’s artistic process, forming an important part of his finished productions and extensive research.
Kentridge published the article In Praise of Shadows, before the shadow film, Confessions of Zeno was presented in Berlin, in 2001. In the article, the artist referred to the Classical philosopher Plato’s description of prisoners in a dark cell noticing and interpreting shadows (Plato’s Republic (360BC). “This Then is how Plato sets the scene for the journey towards knowledge, or away from ideology or false consciousness.”
Senior Curator at Sharjah Art Foundation and Director of Sharjah’s Performance Department Tarek Abou El Fetouh co-curated the ‘William Kentridge: A Shadow of a Shadow’ exhibition at Bait Al Serkal in Sharjah, in collaboration with Hoor Al-Qasimi, the Foundation’s President and Director. ‘A Shadow of a Shadow’ is Kentridge’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East. The curators are keen to highlight the relevance of Kentridge’s work in the region by calling to mind the legacy of another shadow filmmaker: Iraqi-born playwright and puppeteer Ibn Daniyal, who performed in Egypt during the 13th century. There is magic about playing with shadows, and Kentridge’s contemporary shadow plays and Ibn Daniyal’s satirical productions invite interpretation and appeal to viewers’ imaginations.
Tarek Abou El Fetouh
ART AFRICA‘s Sophie Kazan Makhlouf wanted to understand more about Kentridge’s connections with the UAE and to learn how the exhibition came about. She spoke to Tarek Abou El Fetouh about Kentridge and the opening of the ‘William Kentridge: A Shadow of a Shadow’ exhibition.
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf: First of all, many congratulations on the ‘A Shadow of a Shadow’ exhibition of William Kentridge’s performances from the 1980s to the present. It is a huge undertaking, and the research and work you have done, drawing it closer to Arab puppetry, poetry, and theatrical traditions, really seems to open it up to so much more in terms of relevance and inspiration!
How did you come across William Kentridge’s 17 performances, and what gave you the idea for the exhibition and bringing in Arab poetry?
Tarek Abou El Fetouh: Sharjah Art Foundation has had a longstanding relationship with William Kentridge. In 2003, his film Zeno Writing (2002) won the Sharjah Biennial 6 Prize. Now part of the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, Zeno Writing will be presented as part of ‘A Shadow of a Shadow’.
Although Kentridge has had many significant exhibitions worldwide, there has yet to be a major survey of his practice in the region, particularly a presentation focusing on his prolific practice as a theatre-maker. The exhibition title is drawn from a play by thirteenth-century playwright and puppeteer Ibn Daniyal. Compelled by the sense that the world was ending, Ibn Daniyal created shadow plays that exposed corrupt authorities and social mores. These tropes appeared again centuries later in Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi and Kentridge’s adaptation of Ubu. So, it all ties in together as part of an ongoing critique of social constructs.
William Kentridge, Bird Catching (11. Cat Head and Birds on Wire), 2006. From ‘The Magic Flute’, 2005. Image courtesy of Kentridge Studio. © William Kentridge
SKM: You are co-curating this with Hoor Al Qasimi. Are there parts of it that she is doing and parts that you have a particular affinity for?
TAF: Hoor has been keen to have a significant solo exhibition of Kentridge’s work since 2003, when he first showed it at the Foundation as part of the Sharjah Biennial. I have known Kentridge for many years and have worked with him before. I always wanted to work on an exhibition that focused on his theatrical works, which are vast projects that haven’t been examined this closely before.
SKM: The UAE has a strong performance art tradition. Could you please tell us a little more about how you would like this exhibition to be received globally and locally?
TAF: Yes, this is true. Sharjah has a big community of theatre makers and theatre audiences. We wanted to present William Kentridge’s theatrical projects here as these projects have a very strong visual language. The exhibition presents these performance projects in sequence inside the rooms of Bait Al Serkal. Here, you really step into his world—the exhibition unfolds like a composed musical score, following the logic of the unique architecture of the historic house.
A Shadow of a Shadow also pays homage to Kentridge’s political rebuke of authoritarianism through absurdist satire. His work has always been interwoven with the social, political and economic realities of South Africa.
William Kentridge, Bird Catching (4. Selection of Birds), 2006. From ‘The Magic Flute’, 2005. Image courtesy of Kentridge Studio. © William Kentridge
SKM: What was the most difficult part of preparing this exhibition? How did you overcome any challenges?
TAF: Showcasing the breadth of William Kentridge’s works is an ambitious endeavour. His practice is vast, spanning various mediums and scales. Curating a comprehensive exhibition of his diverse artistic projects, which include artworks created from the 1980s to the present, was both challenging and exciting. These projects not only incorporate various mediums, including drawings, puppets, props, costumes, animations, and stage backdrops, but also many collaborators and layered themes.
SKM: What has your contact been with William Kentridge? Will he be coming to the exhibition? If so, do you see greater connections in the future?
TAF: Of course, William will come to the exhibition—he will draw on two large walls of Bait Al Serkal. He has also visited Sharjah a couple of times during the research period. At Sharjah Art Foundation, we always work with artists on a long-term basis. Our artists always come back, and their work is presented through different exhibitions and the Sharjah Biennials.
Thank you very much to Tarek and his fantastic Sharjah Art Foundation team. ‘A Shadow of A Shadow’ exhibition is at Bait Al Serkal in Sharjah and will be on view from the 28th of September until the 8th of December 2024. For more information, please visit the Sharjah Art Foundation.
Dr. Sophie Kazan Makhlouf is an Honorary Fellow at Leicester University’s School of Museum Studies and a lecturer at the University of Falmouth. She holds degrees in Art & Archaeology from SOAS, University of London, a Master of Studies in Art History from the University of Oxford, and a doctorate from the University of Leicester. She joined the African State Architecture research group in 2022 and serves on the Higher Education Committee for the Association for Art History. Sophie organised the Global New Voices Conferences in 2022 and 2023. Her book, The Development of An Art History in the UAE: An Art Not Made To Be Understood, will be released in October 2024. She also hosts “Art Minute,” a 60-second art documentary on YouTube.
