KC Hill
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Craig Hill
Oracle of DelphiAt Arm’s Length: The Art of African Puppetry
August 3rd 2006 23:37
For those in the US - there's a travelling exhibition of African puppetry 'At Arm’s Length: The Art of African Puppetry' that's world renowned and, from all accounts worth checking out. It is making its way across the country so be sure to follow touring information to find when it reaches a town near you. I wish that Australians were lucky enough to have such troupes tour our country.
The exhibition features two of Africa’s most respected and popular companies, the Handspring Puppet Theater of South Africa and the Sogolon Puppet Company from Mali, presents nearly 100 animated puppets, marionettes, and puppet sculptures used in traditional and contemporary theatrical performances. Juxtaposed alongside the puppets are performance videos and photographs, demonstrating the creative possibilities of a true synthesis of the arts of two geographically distinct and historically separate regions.
Here's some information about the respective companies. sourced in part from their informative home pages:
The Sogolon Puppet Company in Mali was founded by master sculptor and puppeteer, Yaya Coulibaly. Puppet theater in Mali is a popular form of entertainment among the Bamana people. After the annual harvest, young people organize performances that incorporate puppets in the form of animals and humans, masks, story-telling, music, and dance. Often satirical and sometimes performed on boats along the river, these performances give youth an opportunity to comment on current events, engage in social criticism, and perfect their skills as artists and performers. Yaya Coulibaly’s troupe has performed in Paris, Cape Town, London, New York City, and Washington D.C. Coulibaly recently toured the United States with Tall Horse, a production done in collaboration with the Handspring Company. Some of the puppets from Tall Horse are included in the exhibition along with many puppets from the Coulibaly family collection.
The Handspring Puppet Company was founded in Cape Town in 1981 by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler. Soon after its founding, Handspring began challenging the boundaries of puppet theater by creating productions for adult audiences. Since 1992 the company has been collaborating with renowned South African artist William Kentridge, whose video animations form the backdrops for many productions. At Arm’s Length includes puppets from several Handspring productions including Faustus, Ubu and the Truth Commission, The Chimp Project, Woycek, and Tall Horse. Handspring puppets were designed and originally performed by Adrian Kohler as lead puppeteer. In creating Handspring’s unique form of puppet theater, Kohler has drawn on many elements from the diverse traditions of puppet theater around the world. Japanese Bunraku, Indonesian shadow puppets, German and Malian rod puppets, and contemporary theater are all incorporated into Handspring’s performances. At Arm’s Length shows many of the puppets in motion—in videos of productions and in the exhibition where they are mechanically activated. A carousel of chimpanzees and a troupe of dancing petticoats are among the animated puppets that will delight audiences of all ages.
For more information see the Museum of African Art.
The exhibition features two of Africa’s most respected and popular companies, the Handspring Puppet Theater of South Africa and the Sogolon Puppet Company from Mali, presents nearly 100 animated puppets, marionettes, and puppet sculptures used in traditional and contemporary theatrical performances. Juxtaposed alongside the puppets are performance videos and photographs, demonstrating the creative possibilities of a true synthesis of the arts of two geographically distinct and historically separate regions.
Here's some information about the respective companies. sourced in part from their informative home pages:
The Sogolon Puppet Company in Mali was founded by master sculptor and puppeteer, Yaya Coulibaly. Puppet theater in Mali is a popular form of entertainment among the Bamana people. After the annual harvest, young people organize performances that incorporate puppets in the form of animals and humans, masks, story-telling, music, and dance. Often satirical and sometimes performed on boats along the river, these performances give youth an opportunity to comment on current events, engage in social criticism, and perfect their skills as artists and performers. Yaya Coulibaly’s troupe has performed in Paris, Cape Town, London, New York City, and Washington D.C. Coulibaly recently toured the United States with Tall Horse, a production done in collaboration with the Handspring Company. Some of the puppets from Tall Horse are included in the exhibition along with many puppets from the Coulibaly family collection.
The Handspring Puppet Company was founded in Cape Town in 1981 by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler. Soon after its founding, Handspring began challenging the boundaries of puppet theater by creating productions for adult audiences. Since 1992 the company has been collaborating with renowned South African artist William Kentridge, whose video animations form the backdrops for many productions. At Arm’s Length includes puppets from several Handspring productions including Faustus, Ubu and the Truth Commission, The Chimp Project, Woycek, and Tall Horse. Handspring puppets were designed and originally performed by Adrian Kohler as lead puppeteer. In creating Handspring’s unique form of puppet theater, Kohler has drawn on many elements from the diverse traditions of puppet theater around the world. Japanese Bunraku, Indonesian shadow puppets, German and Malian rod puppets, and contemporary theater are all incorporated into Handspring’s performances. At Arm’s Length shows many of the puppets in motion—in videos of productions and in the exhibition where they are mechanically activated. A carousel of chimpanzees and a troupe of dancing petticoats are among the animated puppets that will delight audiences of all ages.
For more information see the Museum of African Art.
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