The dreaming began in Finland. While preparing for the exhibition (ka) pheko ye—he dream to come, Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape (*1981, Polokwane, South Africa) immersed herself in Finnish forests and the Frantsila herb farm..
What stories do we tell? Who do we listen to? Blood, sweat, tears, and bodies: memories are stored in nature, in earth, water, herbs, minerals, mountains and stones. With the help of natural materials and audio-visual media, Bopape approaches the question of what we remember. The linear narrative of progress—reated on the basis of Western tradition—s incomplete, and holes repeatedly appear. Which stories are not told or are even suppressed? Using dreaming as a medium, the artist kaleidoscopically expands colonial historiography. The dream state allows for an interaction of different realities across species; leaps in time and connections between different places emerge. For example, the myths of mountain dragons exist not only on Mount Pilatus in Switzerland, but also in the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains) in South Africa. In addition, mountains are ancient repositories of knowledge: the Matterhorn is not only located on the African plate in terms of plate tectonics, but was actually formed from it. Moreover, due to the similar elevation of Finland and Switzerland, the same herbs grow in both. Bopape involves all the senses in these journeys through space and time. In Finland, the artist created a fragrance and a tea to promote dreams, which can be drunk in the exhibition while talking and listening.
The multi-sensory show invites visitors to smell, taste, hear, see, feel and dream. It recalls untold, forgotten and repressed stories and with the help of dreaming, departs from linear narratives. Through remembering, Bopape approaches the desire for collective healing: the dream to come.
Curator: Dr. Michael Birchall; Curatorial assistant: Claudia Heim.
Exhibition 08 June - 08 September 2024. Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Limmatstrasse 270 - 8005 Zürich (Switzerland). T +41 44 277 20 50. Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11am–6pm, Thursday 11am–8pm.
View of Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape: (ka) pheko ye—he dream to come, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, 2023–24. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Petri Virtanen.
