Dambudzo is a live anti-genre work by nora chipaumire, combining sound, painting, sculpture and performance. chipaumire explores the revolutionary potential of performance and confronts colonial legacies in an installation featuring a Zimbabwean shabini – an informal bar set up in private homes where citizens gather to evoke the possibilities of resistance and insurrection in the face of political powers. Large-scale plastic paintings allow for a malleable wall through which sound, light, and even bodies can transgress. The lines and shapes of the humans in the house may indeed be affected and informed by the daily rigor of dodging, running, and throwing – actions necessitated by the threat of the Rhodesian ridgebacks (a breed of dogs BRED to hunt and pacify Africans) as well as by Rhodesian terrorists. nora chipaumire draws inspiration from the meaning of the word dambudzo – trouble in Shona – also evoking the ideas of radical African thinkers such as Dambudzo Marechera. Through bodily expression, the artist explores a language that goes beyond words, seeking to transcend the limits imposed by language. She uses movement as a personal and universal means of communication, enabling a more subtle and intuitive understanding.

During this performance, the audience moves alongside the performers. Seating is available upon request.

Please note: wet red clay is used in the performance, and some clay dust or splatter may occur in a specific area

About nora chipaumire

nora chipaumire was born in 1965 in what was then known as Umtali, Rhodesia (now Mutare, Zimbabwe). She is a product of colonial education for black native Africans — known as group B schooling — and is invested in knowledge acquisition and sharing outside of prescribed parameters.

nora chipaumire’s Website | Instagram