Dzata: The Institute of Technological Consciousness is an artistic research project by South African artists Russel Hlongwane, Francois Knoetze and Amy Wilson. In fabricating a fictional institute and its archive, the artists imagine centuries-old vernacular technological practices from across the African continent. The work takes the form of video, a creative-critical text, sculptural masks, costumes and devices, and a youth workshop series.
There is a richer and more diverse technological history than the dominant narrative of invention, development and progress. The artists situate their enquiry at the point at which the social, the cultural, the spiritual, the political intersect.
The project’s title comes from the ancient capital of the Venda kingdom situated in South Africa which houses stone ruins built of dark blue stone in a style reminiscent of the Great Zimbabwe ruins. Examining vernacular cultures in terms of technology use help us to learn from such practices which are taking place across the continent. What is beyond binary or computation thinking which tries to predict and govern the chaos of the future?
Dzata Laboratory Interior. 2023, photo: Knoeze, Wilson and Hlongwane
Dzata (River production still ) 2023, photo: Knoetze, Hlongwane and Wilson
This work uses the form of speculative storytelling (embedding archival elements within game-engine and AI-built landscapes) to speculate on the past and future of contexts grounded in various locales across the African continent, unfolding the idea of development as a historical process shaped by Africans.
Bio
Credits
Written and Directed by: Francois Knoetze, Russel Hlongwane + Amy Louise Wilson
A Lo-Def Film Factory & Substance Point Production
Supported by the Mozilla Foundation Creative Media Award & Mozilla Alumni Connection Fund
Project Advisors: Oulimata Gueye, Professor Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga
Cinematographer + Editor: Francois Knoetze
Script Development: Russel Hlongwane, Amy Louise Wilson, Francois Knoetze
Screenplay: Amy Louise Wilson
Sound Designers: Gugulethu Duma (Dumama)
Caydon van Eck (b00n)
Production Design + Costume: Francois Knoetze
Collage Art: Duduetsang Lamola (blk banaana), Francois Knoetze, Amy Louise Wilson
Original compositions by Dumama
Featuring performances by: Russel Hlongwane, Duduetsang Lamola, Oupa Sibeko, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, Indalo Stofile, Thulisa Mayalo, Jacques Lukoji, Anesu Alex, Philimon Rukodzi, Ragel Mahera, Peacemore Patsika, Nicole Goto, Gomez Bakwene
Voice-Over + Translation: Babalwa Zimbini Makwetu, Russel Hlongwane, Elinatta Hazembe
Supported by the Mozilla Foundation Creative Media Award & Mozilla Alumni Connection Fund.
Presented in the context of the STARTS4Africa project. STARTS4Africa has received funding from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology under grant agreement No. LC-01960720.
