Street art Project

SoUth AFrica – Botswana

14.03.2013 – 01.04.2013

Gouzou in Zululand

Gouzou in Zululand

GOUZOU ??? WAZZAT??? A new car? A sport brand ? Not at all!!!

Gouzou is a little creature who can be seen all over Reunion Island and in many other exotic places. Gouzou is a globe-trotter, so you can spot him in Madagascar…..

It was Gouzou’s 20th birthday last year! Now he’s big enough to conquer the Zulu Kingdom!

Gouzou’s creator, Jace, was born in Le Havre and came to Reunion Island in the 1980s. It is Jace’s passion for drawing and his dream of an underground lifestyle that prompted him to specialize in graffiti art. The idea of Gouzou began when Jace first started his university studies. It wasn’t easy to impose Gouzou onto the street art scene, a purist movement, strongly influenced by rap and hip-hop…

This unusual character has nevertheless managed to make a name for himself in the visual arts community. He has also successfully adapted to all the different cultures that he has encountered during his travels. Jace has captivated the planet with Gouzou and has exhibited in many countries around the world.

Gouzou’s next adventure takes him to South Africa and Botswana where he hopes to meet many new people!

Why does the Gouzou want

to come to South Africa?

The Gouzou will be travelling all over South Africa and Gaborone together with a real durbanite photographer so he’ll have a lot of nice pictures of his trip.

He’s very keen to meet people and share his experiences with them. Also, he wants to learn about the African culture and wants to become one of them, at least for few weeks…

His dad, Jace, will tell people the story of the little character and help them to create their own one through workshops and conferences.

After decorating all the walls of South Africa and Gaborone, Gouzou and Jace will go back to Reunion Island and publish a travel journal to show people how amazing these countries are!

Main objectives

• To develop exchanges around visual arts between South Africa and Reunion, collaborating with the South African photographer Nthombenhle Mbongwe from the KZNSA Durban Centre for Photography (KZNSA DCP)

• To use a typical character from Reunion (Gouzou) to highlight cooperation between Durban and Reunion

• Sharing street art experience

• Organize workshops to teach and share with the youth

• Produce a “journey diary” on Jace’s residence supported by le FRAC and find distribution outlets in Reunion Island and South Africa

• Capture the attention of the media around the various collaborations between South Africa and Reunion

• Set up an exhibition and invite the South African photographer to Reunion Island during the South African season in France

Programme in Durban

• Creation of a mural in a cultural centre in KwaMashu township with the youth of the area

• Painting by local graffiti artists at Durban Skate Park

• Workshop on recycled materials with Students from art schools in Durban and Restoration by organising a temporary exhibition at the Franco-Fête in Durban on 21st March

• Staging of a performance at the Franco-Fête

• Paintings on sails

• Meeting with local galleries ( KZNSA, The Collective, Artspace) with the view to future collaborations

Various conferences, workshops, performances and appearances will also be arranged by

Alliance Française in Cape Town; Gaborone and Johannesburg.

Gouzou’s agenda

Thursday 14 /03 Friday 15/03 Saturday 16/03

Arrival at Durban Residency & workshops in Durban

Residency & workshops in Durban

Sunday 17/03 Monday 18/03 Tuesday 19/03

Residency & workshops in Durban

Residency & workshops in Durban

Residency & workshops in Durban

Wednesday 20/03 Thursday21/03 Friday 22/03

Residency & workshops in Durban

Residency & workshops in Durban

Departure for Cape Town

Saturday 23/03 Sunday 24/03 Monday 25/03

Residency & workshops in Cape Town

Residency & workshops in Cape Town

Residency & workshops in Cape Town

Tuesday 26/03 Wednesday 27/03 Thursday 28/03

Departure for Gaborone Residency & workshops in Gaborone

Residency & workshops in Gaborone

Friday 29/03 Saturday 30/03 Sunday 31/03 Monday 1/04

Departure for Johannesburg

Residency & workshops in Johannesburg

Residency & workshops in Johannesburg –

Departure on 2nd April for Reunion Island

Gouzou’s style

LINKS

http://gouzou.net/ http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/art/332139/french-connection-for-graffiti-face-off http://www.bloodyloud.com/street-art-gouzou-jace/ http://www.littlescratchgallery.co.uk/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=7&Itemid=20&lang=en http://www.pyecka.com/en/show/jace-re http://www.streetlove.fr/artiste/gouzou.html http://www.graffitisouthafrica.com/graffiti-africa-gallery/categories/_artist-jace-reunion/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfFN8BFtZGk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHRoqmqmhT8

PRESS

Gouzou in Zululand is

proposed by

And supported by