This Sunday night we peeped South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga's much-talked-about synchronized swimming performance. Ruga worked with Spoek Mathambo to create the soundtrack for the project. 'Ilulwane' is Ruga's first performance in NYC and was "inspired by Alvin Baltrop's 1970s and 80s photographs. It reflects on the passage of time in both New York and in the artist's own Xhosa culture, drawing on themes of Xhosa initiation ceremonies, the AIDS crisis, and challenging definitions of masculinity."
The lighting was ominous and the air was thick with the smell of chlorine. Click here for a thorough description of the show. Check out our photos by OKA contributor Ardavon Fatehi and imagine Mathambo's electronic drones soothing you into a dark state of mind.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
