The Souls of White Folk begins by deeply examining a specific case of solidarity from The Namibia Association in Elverum to Namibia’s independence organisation the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO). The context for this solidarity between the Namibia Association and Namibia’s independence movement SWAPO stretches back to 1842, when Hans Christian Knudsen, Norway’s first missionary to Africa, travelled as a representative of the German Lutheran Rhenish Mission Society to Namibia. Also, in the late 19th Century, Norway was a pioneer of industrial whaling, which brought Norwegian industry to the coast of Namibia. The industry nearly hunted whales to extinction in the waters off the coasts of Africa. Performing the archive, the work utilises a familiar language of video essay, but performs it live, giving vitality and tension to the moment of assembly. The work quickly formally departs from the familiar to the performative, self-reflexive, poetic and challenging.
Bio
Martin White was born on unceded Gadigal and Dharug lands in Sydney, Australia. I have often made work with communities, about communities, or from material gathered from communities. Martin's works often deal with complex and sprawling legacies–material legacies, but also political, social, ideological, and cultural legacies. From these sources Martin makes drawings, books, installations, photographs, performances, collages, videos and digital projects that contain complex and poetic narratives, into which audiences are invited. Martin has exhibited widely in Norway and abroad including solo exhibitions at Melk, Oslo Kunstforening and UKS.
Martin is a current PhD candidate at the art academy of the Oslo National Academy of the arts (KHiO). Prior to studying visual art Martin worked in community arts, as a theatre director and in film and television. In addition to artistic practice, Martin teaches, works as a researcher and writes.