Zorena Jantze
FOR the ENK Institute for Public Art, the City of Windhoek is an open-air art gallery, with every crevice and every wall having the potential to be splashed with arteries of paint that weave stories of Namibian identity.
Exhibiting huge murals of lonely Acacia trees that form stoic gardens in the Namib desert to paintings that show Christine Mboma soaring through to the finish line with an exuberant smile, the institute has so far already created 10 public art murals in different sections of the city.
To increase these large sized paintings that adorn different walls, the institute this week hosted an event in which it called out public as well as private sector institutions to fund new design concepts.
Emmanuel Enkara, founder of the ENK Institute for Public Art noted the organisation was founded in August 2019 with the mandate of having organisation that consistently caters to Public art.
He added that at its heart, ENK focuses on the income of artist as they put more effort into creating large scale works. Enkara added that the institute also wishes to increase tourist attractions throughout different towns, adding that different sculptures, murals could encourage tourists and locals to travel to a specific location.
Enkara further shared that the large-scale sculptures and murals also serve towards creating a sense of National identity and also offer a cathartic release for Namibians who have faced the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic which has claimed over 4000 lives in the country.
All paintings will be done within a month and any institution which is interested in taking charge of the storyline of the city is encouraged to contact the ENK institute by writing an email to PublicArtNamibia@hotmail.com or contacting the organisation at +264812859019.
