Kapwani KiwangaFlowers for Africa: Union of South Africa, 2017
‘Flowers for Africa’ is an ongoing body of work in which Kiwanga conducted iconographic research that focused on the presence of flowers at diplomatic events linked to the independence of African countries. Situated on negotiation tables and podiums during speeches these floral arrangements become witness to historic moments. Sourcing from archival imagery, Kiwanga identifies the key symbolic moments of independence in countries throughout the African continent. Perhaps the only common element to be sourced across a range of ceremonial occasions recognising the decolonisation of Africa. These arrangements range from a boutonnière to an elaborate bouquet or a triumphant floral archway. Kiwanga then takes these images to a local florist in order to recreate the bouquets as closely as possible to the archival images. The fresh arrangements are displayed in a gallery and left to wilt over the duration of the exhibition, just as the memory of a celebratory moment might fade over time. ‘Flowers for Africa’ series is a conceptual protocol work that questions the material from which history is represented and conserved. Destined to wilt over the course of their display, the flowers invite us to reflect on time. The Flowers for Africa project began in 2013 and continues to expand. To date, sixteen different floral arrangements have been created corresponding to sixteen different countries.
