By Wallace Mawire
The PPC Imaginarium, a competition originating from neighbouring South Africa will take place in Zimbabwe for the first time, according to a National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) spokesperson.
According to the spokesperson, the PPC Imaginarium is a modern art and design competition whose main thrust is to support emerging artists and designers with the opportunity to showcase their mastery through the medium of concrete. Artists who previously entered the competition in South African are also eligible to enter the competition. The local gallery also said that interested participants may enter under more than one category.
It is reported that this will be an opportunity for Zimbabwe’s emerging artists and designers to showcase their adept skills
responding to a themed medium.
The first edition of the PPC Imaginarium Zimbabwe competition included a range of programmes and workshops, which were held in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare, to help develop local artistic skills through equipping local artists to work with cement.
Artists and designers living in Zimbabwe are eligible to enter the PPC Imaginarium competition, including resident holders and foreign students with study permits living in Zimbabwe, who are not professionally established in their respective fields.
The NGZ said that the PPC Imaginarium is an example of PPC’s unwavering commitment to its ethos “Strength Beyond the Bag”- going beyond the manufacture and sale of cement to enrich the lives of its staff, communities, and countries across Africa. By creating the PPC Imaginarium Competition, PPC are investing in local creatives and artisans, helping them to launch successful careers and supporting and building the arts community.
It is also added that the PPC Imaginarium Competition is diversely grouped into six categories which include Architecture, Fashion, Film Industrial Design Jewellery and Sculpture. In the Fashion competition interested designers are expected to conceptualise a mini-collection that uses Portland cement-based concrete as a medium combined with other materials, such as textiles, leather, wood, bronze and glass.
For the Film competition, prospective participants are expected to come up with a short film idea that investigates the role that
concrete or cement plays in creating our environments. One is also allowed to experiment within genres, but should be able to motivate the approach conceptually.
In the sculpture competition competitors must conceptualise a sculpture that embraces not only single-medium, three dimensional objects, but also mixed-media installation art. Final pieces must demonstrate an understanding of concrete as an artistic medium. In the jewellery competition participants must create a single jewellery piece that is visually appealing and uses the medium of jewellery to reflect an understanding of concrete. The entry must be wearable concrete as an artistic medium.
It is reported that the winner of each of the six competition categories will receive a cash prize of R50 000 or the equivalent in
United States Dollars, with runners-up walking away with R15 000 each.
The overall winner will receive the grand prize of R100 000, in addition to winning the respective category prize. PPC Imaginarium will showcase creativity and push boundaries of art as an opportunity is up for grabs for winners to be profiled online through their artworks.
Three Workshops for interested parties will be held on the 24th of November in Harare, the 25th of November in Mutare and the 26th of November in Mutare. Final entries of the Jewellery, Sculpture, Architecture and Design and Fashion competitions will end on the 1st of December 2017 whilst Film entries closes on the 31st of October2017.Winners’ announcement will take place in April 2018. Runners up and winners in Architectural category competition will be announced in May 2018. This is an open call to Zimbabwean artist to execute their expertise in art.