Pasvang, Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison
2004 - Photography (Photography)
46,5 x 70 cm
Mikhael Subotzky
“Pasvang, Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison” is the result of three months Subotzky spent inside the walls of Pollsmoor Prison, an overcrowded correctional facility largely controlled by gangs. Through talking to the prisoners and the warders, teaching classes in photography to the inmates and documenting his experiences, Subotzky captured a unique perspective of the prisoners and the prison itself. Subotzky was working digitally, and a key feature of the Pollsmoor work was panoramic images in which he would stitch together a number of shots to give a 360-degree view of the jammed prison wards and spaces. While the desperate sense of beaten down men, caged within a harsh institutional environment is prevalent throughout the Vier Hoeke series, there are nonetheless moments that show the survival of the human spirit, even under the direst circumstances. “Pasvang, Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison” thus represents significantly more than a documentary insight into a prison, rather it is the documentation and culmination of Subotzky’s intervention undertaken in an attempt to understand and undermine power systems in South Africa.
Mikhael Subotzky’s (b. 1981, Cape Town, South Africa) film, video and photographic works examine the construction and internal structures of narratives concerning representation. His photographs and films frame the spontaneity of action and the stillness of portraiture through very precise compositions. Whether natural or artificial, the scenes are bathed in light that falls gracefully onto the grit and grime of interiors and exteriors alike. Subotzky’s work is very often a result of his immersion within communities and individuals traversing the penal system (Die Vier Hoeke – The Four Corners), everyday life in post-apartheid South Africa Umjiegwana (The Outside and Beaufort West) and the contemporary and historical structures of power. In publishing books alongside his exhibitions — Beaufort West (2008), Retinal Shift (2012) and, with Patrick Waterhouse, Ponte City (2014) — Subotzky’s oeuvre provides an invaluable insight into the power systems of South Africa.
Colors:
Related works sharing similar palette
© » KADIST
Zai Kuning
2014Concerned with the early history of Singapore, Zai Kuning spent many years living with and researching the history of the Riau peoples who were the first inhabitants of Singapore...
© » SLASH PARIS
Tarek Atoui — The Drift — Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne — Exposition — Slash Paris Connexion Newsletter Twitter Facebook Tarek Atoui — The Drift — Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne — Exposition — Slash Paris Français English Accueil Événements Artistes Lieux Magazine Vidéos Retour Tarek Atoui — The Drift Exposition Techniques mixtes Performance de Tarek Atoui lors du vernissage Tarek Atoui: Cycles in 11, à la Sharjah Art Foundation © Sharjah Art Foundation Tarek Atoui The Drift Encore environ 2 mois : 13 octobre 2023 → 28 janvier 2024 L’IAC invite l’artiste Tarek Atoui à présenter sa première exposition monographique d’ampleur en Europe...
© » SLASH PARIS
Tarek Atoui — The Drift — Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne — Exhibition — Slash Paris Login Newsletter Twitter Facebook Tarek Atoui — The Drift — Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne — Exhibition — Slash Paris English Français Home Events Artists Venues Magazine Videos Back Tarek Atoui — The Drift Exhibition Mixed media Performance de Tarek Atoui lors du vernissage Tarek Atoui: Cycles in 11, à la Sharjah Art Foundation © Sharjah Art Foundation Tarek Atoui The Drift Ends in about 2 months: October 13, 2023 → January 28, 2024 Tarek Atoui presents a major monographic exhibition at IAC — Villeurbanne...
© » SLASH PARIS
40 ans du Frac ! — Gunaikeîon — Frac île-de-france, les Réserves — Exposition — Slash Paris Connexion Newsletter Twitter Facebook 40 ans du Frac ! — Gunaikeîon — Frac île-de-france, les Réserves — Exposition — Slash Paris Français English Accueil Événements Artistes Lieux Magazine Vidéos Retour 40 ans du Frac ! — Gunaikeîon Exposition Techniques mixtes Vue de l’exposition 40 ans du Frac ! — Gunaikeîon au Frac île-de-france, les Réserves, Romainville © Frac Île-de-France 40 ans du Frac ! Gunaikeîon Encore 2 mois : 15 octobre 2023 → 24 février 2024 Pour les 40 ans des Frac, il s’agit à la fois de repenser l’histoire de l’institution, écrite notamment par le biais de sa collection, et de tendre vers des futurs communs et désirables...
© » KADIST
Pablo Rasgado
2011Pablo Rasgado’s paintings and installations serve as a visual record of contemporary urban human behavior...
© » KADIST
Olga Grotova
2022Our Grandmothers’ Gardens by Olga Grotova is based on the history of Soviet allotment gardens, which were small plots of land distributed amongst the families of factory workers to compensate for poor food supply in a country that was over-producing weapons...
© » SLASH PARIS
Amy Bravo — I’m Going There With You — Semiose Gallery — Exhibition — Slash Paris Login Newsletter Twitter Facebook Amy Bravo — I’m Going There With You — Semiose Gallery — Exhibition — Slash Paris English Français Home Events Artists Venues Magazine Videos Back Previous Next Amy Bravo — I’m Going There With You Exhibition Installation, painting, sculpture, mixed media Upcoming Amy Bravo, Elegy to the Mustache, 2024 Graphite, wax pastel, acrylic on canvas, found objects, mirror and plaster — 54 × 36 × 1 in...