To Break A Bitter Fever exhibition at Bag Factory explores themes of resilience, care, and collective healing through words of leading contemporary artists

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

You will not miss this one. It takes the centre space of the exhibition hall, the Bag Factory Artist Studio Gallery in Fordsburg. It is a representation of a grave, with ritualistic objects such as snuff, stones and Uphepho place on top of the grave, creating memories of those that may have been passed on through perhaps gender Based violence that stalks the country constantly. A disease society is struggling with as the body count continues to rise and the messaging against this scourge seems to not have the desired effect.

This particular installation titled (Altar)-nate) is one of the several installations you will view as you walk into the Bag Factory.  I and a group of other arty types were invited to a soft launch of the exhibition last week Thursday, ahead of a series of workshops to be led by some of the participating artists talking abo0u t the theme of Gender based violence and how these artists through creating these art works are attempting to draw the attention of this issue to the public imagination. But the exhibition is not about reminding the public about the   collective pain society suffers whenever there is yet ab=another case of Gender based violence. It is also about the resilient spirit of those facing such violence. The exhibition is about healing that has to take place for the victims to overcome this pain.

Essentially To Break A Bitter Fever, is an important public program curated by KefiloeSiwisa. This thought-provoking exhibition, running from 30 January – 8 February 2025, explores themes of resilience, care, and collective healing through the works of leading contemporary artists.

This condition of violence has stripped us bare, robbing us of space and time to feel, to emote. Instead, we have learned to perform resilience and strength-just enough to survive and in doing so, restrained pour weeping, waling, raging grieving bodies.

Amid the proliferation of self-care rhetoric, care work may feel uncomfortable. burdensome and out of reach. This is our offering of simple and tender practices that will water our ability to care for ourselves and sustain communal well-being in small meaningful ways,” the curatorial stamen reads.

To Break A Bitter Fever, was developed the Art Exchange: Moving Image, a curatorial development programme for curators from Sub-Sahara Africa organized by Lux, and the Yinka Sonibare Foundation, delivered in partnership with the British Council.

Participating artists are Gabrielle Goliath, Gogo Mahlodi, Gugu Duma, Lebogang Mabusela, Maneo Mohale, Natalie Paneng, Nombuso Mathibela, Racheel Lowe, SimnikiweBuhlungu, Thuli Gamedze, and curated by  Siwisa.

These artists are powerful voices in the contemporary art space in South Africa right now, with their respective individual art practices mainly dealing with the various themes that are a focus of this exhibition.

The soft launch is being accompanied by workshops with Mabusela having led a workshop titled +waning on your loved ones on Friday, January 31, 2025 whileGogomahlodi led a workshop titled +Ditaelotsamoya on Saturday, January 1, 2025.

Goliath will lead a workshop called +(Altar)-nate words on Friday, 7 February 2025, starting from 10.30am to 12 noon, while Siwisa will conclude the series of workshops with once titled +I’ll hold your hand on Saturdayy 8 February 2025, from 12.30pm to 1pm.

.To Break A Bitter Fever currentlyon at Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, 10 Mahlathini Street, Newtown, Johannesburg.