Everard Read Gallery Cape Town | Genre Pictures by Michael MacGarry

Everard Read Gallery Cape Town is proud to present ‘Genre Pictures’ by Michael MacGarry

MacGarry’s 15th solo exhibition, ‘Genre Pictures’, marks his 6th collaboration with the Everard Read group. Continuing his exploration of socio-political and economic narratives within an African context, the show presents new works from his ongoing ‘Toutine’ series – large-scale textiles sewn from salvaged cement packet paper – alongside new steel, aluminum, and found object sculptures.

‘Genre Pictures’ offers a multitude of artist strategies as escapes from the cul-de-sacs of prescribes how-to guides to alternate futures. It challenges narrow histories built more on exclusion than fact, acknowledging the futility yet existential necessity of writing the present into the past. As Walter Benjamin wrote, ‘The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward.’

However, MacGarry recognizes the limitations of abstract critiques and borrowed quotes, emphasizing the profound impact of experiencing art in its physical reality. He offers no easy answers, merely inviting viewers to engage with these powerful works firsthand.

Exhibition dates: August 2-23, 2022