Entertainment Reporter
IN the Troubled Waters exhibition, the cold and icy Atlantic Ocean that forms the coastline of Namibia becomes an aquarium of money, as each fish has a dollar sign on it.
The exhibition, which opened last week Friday, saw a huge turnout as local art lovers braved the cold wintry Windhoek night to show support for the exhibition, which showcased the artwork of well-known local photographer/musician Vilho Nuumbala and Ruth Stanford.
Using Namibia’s recent Fishrot scandal as the departure point, Troubled Waters explores the topic of global corruption.
Gallery owner Frieda Lühl of The Project Room explained that the exhibition brings to light a complicated bribery scheme involving the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia, government officials, and the corporate fishing giant Samherji in Iceland. She added that Fishrot shows how corruption steals livelihoods, damages economies, ruins lives, and erodes people’s faith in their leaders.
“Acts of corruption such as these are especially harmful in nations with rich natural resources and high rates of income inequality, like Namibia. Acts of corruption such as these affect communities all around the world,” Lühl said.
A Namibian photographer and musician, Nuumbala photographs everyday life and culture in Windhoek, with a focus on people and situations encountered in their daily life. Stanford’s work has examined police shootings of unarmed African American men in the United States, the precarious existence of endangered species, and the everyday journeys of Zambians living in the tourist capital of Livingstone. Her other works highlight often overlooked or forgotten events, people, and histories.
Together, Stanford and Nuumbala built Troubled Waters via long-distance collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the exhibition, the viewers are confronted with a mosaic of imagery, where the destitute side of the city comes to life, showcasing the hopeful eyes of beggars lingering on passerby strangers, pinning their hopes for their next meal on the unknown. The exhibition showcases Nuumbala’s talent for capturing emotions with the camera lens, which he has perfected over time.
The exhibition will be on show until 12th August 2023 at the Project Room art gallery located opposite the police headquarters building in Ausspanplatz.
