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Exhibition of Zimbabwean artists Peter Musami and Mukudzei Muzondo, Embodied Histories

Updated: Sep 26


25 May - 20 July 2024

Marta Czok Foundation

Campo Rialto Novo, 544 Venice


Zerial Art Project presents, from 25 May to 20 July 2024 at the Marta Czok

Foundation in Venice, the exhibition Embodied Histories curated by Alice

Montanini. Under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the

exhibition brings the work of Zimbabwean artists Peter Musami and Mukudzei

Muzondo to Italy for the first time. Through a selection of previously unseen works

created especially for the occasion, Embodied Histories explores themes of memory, trauma and cultural heritage in the intricate context of Zimbabwe's tumultuous history, setting in the context of the 60th International Art Exhibition -

La Biennale di Venezia curated by Adriano Pedrosa Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners

Everywhere.


Richly reminiscent of Shona cultural background, Musami and Muzondo’s artistic

visions converge and diverge, forming a poignant discourse on the body as a

vessel of trauma, a theatrical landscape of scars, yet simultaneously a spiritual site

of healing and reconciliation.


Muzondo’s work is characterised by a striking figurative storytelling embodied with

both historical and personal references. Through densely layered compositions, his

powerful depiction delves into the struggles and resilience of a scarred nation,

while uncovering the intricate interplay between socio-political historical events,

memory, and tradition, all shaping Zimbabwe contemporary cultural identity. In his

work, lingering echoes of colonialism permeate the cultural confrontation with the

oppressive Western capitalist system, where the voices of non-dominant cultures

are drowned out by the shadow of a still tangible colonial past.


The complex non-linearity of trauma is portrayed by Musami’s textured large

collage works. Intertwined with political undertones, these works evoke an

emotional landscape where the past and the present overlap, as if echoing a

fragmented psyche dealing with traumatic experiences. A mosaic of layered

memories retraces the artistic process of tearing, cutting and subsequently

assembling each fragment into a new wounded yet vibrant composition, where the

artistic expression is transmuted into a symbolic act of healing.


Through the convergence of Muzondo’s figurative symbolism and Musami’s

abstract expressionism, this exhibition invite viewers to navigate a multifaceted

contemporary narrative deeply embedded in the scarred history of Zimbabwe.


The exhibition is accompanied by a digital catalogue featuring a critical text by

Alice Montanini and unpublished interviews with artists Peter Musami and

Mukudzei Muzondo, curated by Valerie Sithole, curator at the National Gallery of

Zimbabwe in Mutare. The publication, richly illustrated, will be in a bilingual format,

Italian and English.



Embodied Histories / Musenga Nhoroondo. Peter Musami, Mukudzei Muzondo

curated by Alice Montanini


25 May - 20 July 2024

Marta Czok Foundation

Campo Rialto Novo, 544, 30124 Venice


opening time: Tuesday - Saturday, from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm

vernissage: Saturday, May 25 at 4 pm


in partnership with Tenuta Conte Romano

a project by Zerial Art Project

under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe

supported by Marta Czok Foundation

graphic design by Alice Montanini



Biographical notes:


Mukudzei Muzondo (Kwekwe, 1983) lives and works in Harare. He completed his

studies at the Peter Brich School of Art and was later selected to be artist in

residence at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. He graduated in Fine Arts from

Harare Polytechnic College. Mukudzei Muzondo has participated in various solo

and group exhibitions, international workshops and art residencies. His research is

aimed at investigating historical and contemporary contexts, questioning the

human condition in urban society. By experimenting with various objects using

different media from silk-screen printing to assemblages, his works generate an

analysis of human existence in social and political spaces. Also highlighting

contemporary research on identity and belonging, his works are an introspection

based on the narrative of the body and life defined through experiences. His works

seek to give form and meaning to the articulation of the State of Being. His works

are in private collections, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, USA, Germany and

France and in public collections National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare and FBC

Bank, Harare Zimbabwe.


Peter Musami (Harare, 1981) is a visual artist working in Harare, Zimbabwe, since

the late 2000s. He attended the National Gallery of Zimbabwe School of Visual Arts

and Design, from 2012 to 2013. During this time he honed his skills in assembling

different materials and painting, experimenting with ideas and techniques from

other established art genres. With influences derived from nature, social culture

and music, he developed as a painter and sculptor whose work is not necessarily

a search for new art forms, but rather a need to discover and demonstrate different

dimensions to the already established art genres of assemblage and abstraction.

With a vibrant palette of oil colours and intricate shading of lines, Musami's

abstract expressionist works describe and evoke the history of his life experiences

and contemporary culture. Peter Musami's works can be found in important

private collections. He has exhibited in various solo and group exhibitions in

Zimbabwe, South Africa, the UK, Canada and Switzerland.


Alice Montanini is a contemporary art curator. After completing a Master's degree

in Philosophical Sciences at Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, she

furthered her academic pursuits by obtaining a MA in Curating the Contemporary

from London Metropolitan University. Her professional experience encompasses

roles of responsibility in international art galleries, managing curatorial projects,

and creating multimedia content. Recently, she curated the collective exhibition

Flashbacks, showcasing renowned international artists such as Vincenzo Agnetti,

Jan Fabre, Roman Opałka, and Remo Salvadori at BUILDINGBOX, an exhibition

space within BUILDING, Milan. She co-curated exhibitions such as Private

Exposure at the me Collectors Room in Berlin and Dialogues of Space at the

Korean Cultural Centre UK in London. In 2021, she founded the YouTube channel

Arte Contemporanea Oggi.



Peter Musami


Wumbiridzo/Restoration I, 2014

oil on canvas, 140 x 140 cm

© Peter Musami



Peter Musami


Mavanga/Scars X, 2024

oil and acrylic on mixed media, 89 x 70 cm

© Peter Musami



Peter Musami


Untitled, 2024

oil and acrylic on canvas, 132 x 140 cm

© Peter Musami



Mukudzei Muzondo


Unstoppable 2, 2024

serigraph, acrylic, graphite on canvas,128 x 200 cm

© Mukudzei Muzondo



Mukudzei Muzondo


Slaves to Systems (c), 2024

serigraph, acrylic, metal grommets on canvas, 100 x 80 cm

© Mukudzei Muzondo



Mukudzei Muzondo


Mhozisi_Moses, 2024

serigraph, acrylic, metal grommet, stitching on canvas, 120 x 88 cm

© Mukudzei Muzondo




for more information on the exhibition, please contact:


Zerial Art Project

Founder & Creative Director

Elisabetta Zerial

+39 351 7662597

info@zerialartproject.com


www.zerialartproject.com

@zerialartproject


CCI Communications

International Press Liaison

Christina Ioannou



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