Fifa 2010 ,2009
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Note : In 2010, South Africa was the first ever African nation to host the FIFA World Cup. Hailed as Africa’s World Cup, it was the most-watched event in history as billions of people worldwide tuned in during the course of the tournament and more than 300 000 foreign fans came to South Africa. It was a time of much excitement and optimism. The country, and the entire continent, came alive with an awareness of the socio-cultural and economic promises of this momentous occasion. With her work FIFA 2010, Venda sculptor Noria Mabasa commemorates the spirit of this prestigious sports event while paying homage to soccer as a major part of African culture – from the young children who kick a ball around the many informal settlements and rural villages to the professional players that have made their mark on the world scene. The totemic-like sculpture is beautifully carved from wood and stands an impressive 2.75 meters tall. The complex composition of ascending figures seems almost ceremonial in nature. Although Mabasa draws on Venda mythology and spirituality, she is also deeply attentive to current events in her immediate environment and especially to the “spectacle of media images”.1 She turns to photographs in newspapers and other sources for inspiration. These visuals are reminders that she construes in various ways; sometimes as movements flowing through time or as isolated moments removed from a specific place.2 Mabasa’s interpretations further include mapping her own personally constructed symbols onto the very multifaceted, and at times very emotional narratives contained in her work.3 In FIFA 2010, Mabasa’s message may be one of hope – one that conveys that people, apart from their segregated backgrounds, will stand united in the shared passion for a sport. Noria Mabasa came to prominence during the 1980s following her inclusion in the landmark exhibitions Tributaries in 1985 and The Neglected Tradition in 1988. Mabasa has since exhibited widely and her work is represented in various institutional, corporate and private collections locally and internationally. In 2002, she received the Order of the Grand Counsellor of the Baobab (Silver) from the South African Government.
Marelize van Zyl
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