As a writer with a lifelong interest in the cutting edge, back in 2000 – during ‘the millennium’ – I was living in New York City at the peak of the dot-com boom. I worked with Silicon Alley start-ups out of the offices of Artbyte, an in-print glossy magazine devoted to digital art and culture. At the time, I was covering speed culture and my digital diaries included AI at the start of the digital takeover. That was 25 years ago. Fast forward to 2024 in the Motherland and me writing an in-print and digital profile on the minds behind Johannesburg’s pioneering art space, USURPA Gallery (the name, a clever play on the verb usurp, meaning to take a position of power or importance by force).
The upstart gallery originated in the digital space during the pandemic, when digital art innovation was having its official moment. With the world locked down, everything and anything was forced online, creating ideal conditions for an explosion of the digital artform. A gold rush followed, and huge amounts were paid for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), best described as the digital watermark attached to an artwork, like a barcode. After the barely known artist Beeple sold on auction at Christie’s for close to $70 million, it became clear that this craze had redefined what it means to be a collector. Seemingly, everyone was trying to work out if they could cash in, and USURPA joined the fray with the power bestowed upon it by the digital forces and the mystique of its African location.
With a portfolio and profile planted firmly in afro-positivity and future-thought, a click through USURPA’s website hints at artist Basquiat as its patron saint, signalled by the crown motif. While selected artists have been placed on a platform scroll-through, the luscious talent that is artist Nandipha Mntambo is officially represented by USURPA for all her digital and NFT-based works. “The first works we made were a series of works re-visiting a sculpture and its maquette, Minataurus.
We digitised the maquette and animated it to create two video works that were shown at RMB Latitudes Art Fair this year,” explains Nandipha of the process. The concept of digital art has experienced a meteoric rise in recent years, thanks to the advent of NFTs. The unique digital assets use blockchain technology to establish ownership and origin. Over the years, they’ve enabled artists to sell and showcase their work in a decentralised, secure, and transparent manner. “We specialise in curating groundbreaking digital art exhibitions, showcasing the work of both established and emerging talents from Africa on a global stage. Our curated exhibitions embody a distinctive African aesthetic and provide a platform for artists to gain recognition and exposure,” USURPA’s Chief Curator Kokona “Kay Kay” Ribane explains. Kay Kay is a visionary known for his multidisciplinary work across an array of artistic realms. As a co-founder of Dear Ribane, a creative collective with his siblings Tebogo and Manthe, Mungu Creative Lab, and now the first digital fine art NFT gallery in Africa, Kay Kay consistently pushes boundaries and challenges norms while striving to reshape the narratives surrounding art, fashion, culture, and identity.
HOW DID YOU LEAP FROM ‘SPORT SCHOOL’ TO THE ART WORLD? My father was deeply embedded in the world of sports management and eventing, but seamlessly intertwined the realms of sports and art. From an early age, this exposure fostered my intrinsic understanding of their profound similarities. I believe that the body is a magnificent tool, capable of crafting extraordinary works of art.
IF YOU COULD TIME TRAVEL, WHAT ERA WOULD YOU LIVE IN? It’s the year 2040, a time when digital art has ascended to unparalleled heights of sophistication. In this era, it transcends mere expression and is an essential element of daily life. It transforms environments with dynamic, interactive, and personalised experiences, creating spaces that are ever evolving and deeply attuned to the rhythms of our existence.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT JOBURG? It’s a city that pulsates with vibrancy and a rich tapestry of cultures, embodying the spirit of collaboration and diversity. The very essence of this metropolis is a dance of dynamic creativity, where every corner tells a story, and every street breathes life into art.
TELL US ABOUT THE FREEDOM YOU GET FROM BEING AN ART AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR… The ability to explore your own imagination while aligning with someone else’s story is a dance of creativity and empathy. It’s the art of weaving your vision into the tapestry of another’s narrative, creating harmony between different perspectives. This delicate interplay invites you to enrich your creative expression with diverse experiences.
TELL US ABOUT THE RECENT SHOWCASE AT DECOREX… Dear Ribane’s Solid DNA Exhibition was a curated showcase of its multidisciplinary artistry, embodying a fusion of art landscapes. This exhibition encapsulated a holistic experience through art, fashion, furniture, and music. It highlighted collaborations with esteemed brands and merged diverse creative disciplines into a cohesive and immersive artistic narrative.
HOW HAS USURPA GALLERY POSITIONED ITSELF AS AN UPSTART IN THE ART WORLD? It’s provided an alternative for artists who are multi-faceted and those who want to engage with innovation.
GALLERY HIGHLIGHTS? Usurpa has curated a series of group exhibitions over the past few years, each a testament to the boundless creativity of African digital artists. Our journey began with the groundbreaking New Medium Group Exhibition, which set the tone for our commitment to spotlighting pioneering talents. Our first solo exhibition with the enigmatic African Ginger further solidified our presence in the digital fine art landscape. For the Women’s Month exhibition in 2023, we hosted 26 female artists in two shows and workshops that included a female youth organisation called Fuel her Flame. RMB Latitudes was another amazing showcase that allowed us to exhibit our new technical skills. Our most recent triumph, the powerpacked group exhibition Don’t Look Back, featured a stellar lineup and was a resounding success. We’ve brought the dynamic world of digital fine art to the broader art community, as seen in our partnership with BODE Gallery in Germany, which represented Cinthia Sifa Mulanga at the Investec Art Fair 2024.
Visit: usurpa.co.za
