A dialogical analysis of ‘Indian’ South African identity and representation in contemporary visual arts, expressed through data-fluid narratives

Abstract

This study analyses ethnoracial identity formation from the perspective of the self (the artist) and the collective (artists, historians, curators, academics), applying a qualitative mixed methodology within this practice-led visual art research. The enquiry into ‘Indian’ South African identity is both complex and perplexing. A dialogical approach to both theory and art practice provides intellectual and intuitive responses about ethnic identity in South Africa. I use a reflexive (self-dialogical) methodology based on memory, experiential and historical artefacts to create iterations of personal and collective identity formations. Data from archival records (Indian Indenture Ship Lists 1860-1911) undergoes a digital process of sorting and parsing. Narratives are then extracted and visualised within the aesthetic domain of the visual arts, inextricably bound by geography and shifting ideologies. The focus of this study is my own generational group (born in the early 1970s), which has lived through the socio-political contexts of colonialism, apartheid, and democracy. It is based on the premise that my social conditioning in South Africa is unique and unusual, being located at the cusp of transition from rigid racial segregation to democratic freedom. The concept of ‘fluidity’ is used to describe an intellectual position that is characterised by openness, neutrality and racial inclusivity. This study contributes new knowledge about contemporary ‘Indian’ identity formations invisibilised within South African visual culture. The exhibition Afterisms: Excentric Data–Fluid Narratives further contributes to the global paradigm of technology-based contemporary art and offers a cultural reparative, as well as addresses historical oversight through symbolic action.

Hierdie studie het etnoras-identiteitsvorming vanuit die perspektief van die self (die kunstenaar) en die kollektief (kunstenaars, historici, kurators, akademici) geanaliseer, deur middel van ʼn kwalitatiewe gemengde metodologie binne hierdie praktykgeleide visuele kunsnavorsing. Die ondersoek na ‘Indiese’ Suid-Afrikaanse identiteit is beide kompleks en verwarrend. ʼn Dialogiese benadering tot beide teorie en kunspraktyk het intellektuele en intuïtiewe reaksies oor etniese identiteit in Suid-Afrika verskaf. Ek het ʼn refleksiewe (selfdialogiese) metodologie gebaseer op geheue, ervarings en historiese artefakte gebruik om iterasies van persoonlike en kollektiewe identiteitsvormings te skep. Data uit argiefrekords (Indiese Kontrakskeepslyste 1860–1911) het ʼn digitale proses van sortering en analise ondergaan. Narratiewe is toe onttrek en gevisualiseer binne die estetiese domein van die visuele kunste, onlosmaaklik verbind deur geografie en verskuiwende ideologieë. Die fokus van hierdie studie was my eie generasiegroep (gebore in die vroeë 1970’s), wat die sosiopolitieke kontekste van kolonialisme, apartheid en demokrasie deurleef het. Dit is gebaseer op die uitgangspunt dat my sosiale kondisionering in Suid-Afrika uniek en ongewoon is, geleë op die oorgangspuntpunt van rigiede rasse-segregasie na demokratiese vryheid. Die konsep van ‘fluïditeit’ is gebruik om ʼn intellektuele posisie te beskryf wat gekenmerk word deur openheid, neutraliteit en rasse-inklusiwiteit. Hierdie studie dra nuwe kennis by oor kontemporêre ‘Indiese’ identiteitsformasies wat onsigbaar is binne die Suid-Afrikaanse visuele kultuur. Die uitstalling Afterisms: Excentric Data-Fluid Narratives dra by tot die globale paradigma van tegnologie-gebaseerde kontemporêre kuns, bied ʼn kulturele herstel en kyk na historiese oorsig deur simboliese optrede.

Lolu cwaningo luhlaziye ukwakheka kobunikazi bezizwe ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene kusuka kumbono womuntu siqu (iciko) kanye nombutho (amaciko, izazi zomlando, abagcinimibukiso, nezifundiswa), lusebenzisa indlela exubile yocwaningo oliyikhwalithi ngaphakathi kocwaningo lobuciko obuholwa yimisebenzi. Ukuphenya ngobunikazi ‘baseNdiya’ baseNingizimu Afrika kuyinselelo kanti futhi kuyadida. Ukuxoxisana ngabo bobubili ubuciko obubhaliwe kanye nobusebenzayo kunikeze izimpendulo eziphusile nezicacile mayelana nobunikazi besizwe eNingizimu Afrika. Ngisebenzise indlela yokuzihlola (yokuxoxa nami) esuselwa kulokho engikukhumbulayo, engihlangabezane nakho phambilini kanye nemifanekiso yomlando ukudala izinguquko zokwakheka kobunikazi bomuntu siqu kanye nobabanye abantu. Ulwazi olutholakala emarekhodini alondoloziwe (Indian Indenture Ship Lists 1860-1911) lwahluzwa ngendlela yobuchwepheshe yokuhlunga nokuhlukanisa. Izindaba zabe sezicashunwa futhi zaboniswa ngaphakathi komkhakha wobuciko obubukwayo, obuhlotshaniswa ngokungenakwahlukaniswa nendawo kanye nemibono eguquguqukayo. Lolu cwaningo lugxile eqenjini lami engikhule nalo (elizalwe ekuqaleni kweminyaka ye-1970), eliphile ezimeni zomphakathi nezombusazwe ngezikhathi zengcindezelo, ubandlululo kanye nombuso wentando yeningi. Kususelwa ekutheni indlela engakhuliswa ngayo eNingizimu Afrika iyingqayizivele futhi ayivamile, njengoba ngisesigabeni soguquko olukhulu kusukela ekucwasweni ngokobuhlanga kuya enkululekweni yentando yeningi. Umqondo wokuthi 'ukuguquguquka' wawusetshenziselwa ukuchaza indawo yokucabanga ebonakala ngokuvuleleka, ukungachemi kanye nokubandakanya zonke izinhlanga. Lolu cwaningo lunikeza ulwazi olusha ngendlela yobunikazi besimanjemanje 'baseNdiya' obungabonakali ngaphakathi kwesiko elibonakalayo eNingizimu Afrika. Umbukiso i-Afterisms: Excentric Data–Fluid Narratives wengezelele kakhulu kumqondo womhlaba-jikelele wobuciko besimanje obususelwa kubuchwepheshe futhi unikeza ukulungiswa kwesiko kanti futhi ubhekana nokunganakwa komlando ngokwenza izenzo ezinemifanekiso.