South African intimate partner femicide: art as absent presence

Abstract

This study examines how as artists, Gabrielle Goliath and I articulate the absent presence of women killed through intimate partner violence. Since we are both influenced by residual traumatic memory, tacit knowledge is central to our strategies regarding the absent presence of victims. Goliath and I name the victims, extending notions of grievability and mourning. The study considers to what extent our artworks conform with Hubert Damisch’s conception of theoretical art objects, requiring interdisciplinary theory, contemplation and social affect that transcends the personal. This qualitative, practice-led research has an interdisciplinary foundation primarily based on cultural theory, art and trauma studies.

In hierdie studie ondersoek ek en Gabrielle Goliath hoe ons as kunstenaars uiting gee aan die afwesige teenwoordigheid van vroue wat gewelddadig om die lewe gebring is deur hulle intieme lewensmaats. Aangesien residuele traumatiese herinneringe ons al twee beïnvloed, is stilswyende wete die kern van ons strategieë om met die afwesige teenwoordigheid van hierdie slagoffers om te gaan. Ek en Goliath benoem die slagoffers om die denkbeelde betreurbaarheid en rou uit te beeld. Hierdie studie ondersoek die mate waarin ons kunswerke aansluit by Hubert Damisch se begrip teoretiese kunsvoorwerpe. Dit verg interdissiplinêre teorie, oorpeinsing en sosiale affek wat die persoonlike transendeer. Hierdie kwalitatiewe en praktykgerigte navorsing berus op hoofsaaklik kultuurteorie, kuns en traumastudie as ʼn interdissiplinêre grondslag.

Lolu cwaningo luhlola ukuthi njengoba abaculi, uGabrielle Goliath kanye nami sikuchaza kanjani ukungabi khona kwabesifazane ababulawa ngodlame yizithandwa zabo. Njengoba sobabili sithonywa inkumbulo yokuhlukumezeka eyinsalela, ulwazi oluzuzile ngokuzibonela luwumgogodla wamasu ethu mayelana nokungabi khona kwezisulu. Mina noGoliath siqamba izisulu, sidlulisela imibono yokudabuka nokulila. Ucwaningo lubheka ukuthi imisebenzi yethu yobuciko ihambisana kangakanani nombono ka-Hubert Damisch wezinto zobuciko bomcabango wombono, ezidinga umbono wemikhakha ehlukene, ukucabanga kanye nomthelela wezenhlalo owedlula okomuntu siqu. Lolu cwaningo olungoluchazayo, oluholwa wukuzibonela lunesisekelo semikhakha eyahlukene ngokuyinhloko esekelwe embonweni wamasiko, ezobuciko kanye nezifundo zokuhlukumezeka.