Kampala Contemporary Art Festival to unmap the untold works of artists

Ugandan artist Kizito Mbuga will transform a boda boda into a traveling cinema; while Ogwang Jimmy John will turn another into an interactive recording studio, which maps the ‘unheard’ musicians of the city.

For the month of October, thirty artists from Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Congo and Rwanda will unveil new artworks across Kampala.

The festival will see the reopening of Kampala’s Railway Station to the public for an exhibition that will feature the work of ten artists, showcasing their interpretation of the “Unmapped”.

“The bicycle knife sharpener; the express fashion designer; the mobile nail salon: they fill every corner of the city. ‘Unmapped’ will attempt to artistically showcase how people from every stratum of society adapt creatively to survive”

Violet Nantume, Curatorial Committee, KLA ART 014

Five Ugandan curators, working with renowned South African curator Gabi Ngcobo, have selected the artists, who include Helen Nabukenya; a visual artist from Uganda who uses discarded fabric to create vast tapestries depicting the overlooked, the forgotten and the rejected.

From Kenya, Dennis Muraguri explores the matatu; presenting it, not only as a transport tool, but also as a space for intriguing gossip and communication.

Reaching out directly to the public, twenty boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) will be turned into artworks, ‘mapping’ Kampala, by forming temporary exhibition spaces in pre-selected locations across the capital.

Ugandan artist Kizito Mbuga will transform a boda boda into a travelling cinema; while Ogwang Jimmy John will turn another into an interactive recording studio, which maps the ‘unheard’ musicians of the city.

The mobile exhibition will attract new audiences from every corner of Kampala, from the iconic Independence Monument to bustling Ggaba market on the shores of Lake Victoria.

“Building on the success of the festival in 2012, KLA ART 014 offers a platform to showcase new and emerging ideas by contemporary Ugandan artists.  KLA ART is a two-year process of thought, production and experimentation resulting in a unique festival, which directly links artists, artworks and audiences” Rocca Gutteridge, Project Director, KLA ART 014

“Umeme has partnered with KLA ART 014 to celebrate and support art as a driver of community togetherness, self development and cultural diversity” Core Supporting Partner, Umeme (Energy distribution company, Uganda)