Community Care Circle
Inspired by Southern African traditions with Rhoda Davids Abel
Rhoda Davids Abel’s family has an intergenerational practice of different forms of community support and healing. There are/were plant medicine workers, dreamers, beekeepers, midwives and non-western Indigenous knowledge-based therapists. Rhoda is in the process of exploring how she can incorporate some of her familial ‘gifts’ in the context of her community – which now also includes Switzerland.
In the framework of her practice, Rhoda will offer a care circle which will include a brief intro to some of the Khoe, IXam and Damara healing practices. Including a 7 to 10-minute hand massage - using oils made from indigenous Southern African medicinal plants and conversation while holding space for everyone present. Massage being a practice Rhoda grew up with. A deceptively minimal gesture, but an effective prompt for reflection and meditation on community care.
When: Saturday, 21 September 2024, 12.00 pm - 2.00 pm
For: Black Women, Intersex-, Non Binary-, Trans- und A-Gender Persons
Free admission, registration via form appreciated (below), held in English
Rhoda Davids Abel (RDA) completed her BA at the (HKB) Bern Academy for Fine Arts, Switzerland in 2021 and her MA in Fine Arts at the Sandberg Institute/Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 2023.
She has exhibited in the Kunsthalle Bern, Rote Fabrik Zürich, Kunstmuseum Langenthal, Kunstmuseum Thun, Kunsthalle Palazzo, Read My World International Literature Festival in Amsterdam among others. Additionally, she won the Swiss Performance Art Awards in 2022 (with Latefa Wiersch & Dandara Modesto) for the work ‘Neon Bush Girl Society’.
Rhoda Davids Abel casts herself as a modern therianthrope, elegantly traversing the realms that bridge human, animal, plant, and mountain. In the tradition of the mythical shape-shifters, RDA's artistic identity thrives on this dynamic interplay, connecting disparate forms into a seamless whole. Celebrating the transformative power of everyday objects, RDA finds inspiration in the mundane, breathing new life into ordinary artifacts and everyday gesture movements.
Within her art, objects metamorphose into carriers of profound significance, bridging the gap between the conceptual and the performative tangible. This nuanced approach, challenges viewers to reimagine their perceptions and narratives. Rooted in the depths of fragmented poetry and the enigmatic language of dreams, RDA's creations become a tapestry of codes and symbolism. Her artwork is a symphony of hidden meanings, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of interpretation and introspection.
These metaphoric layers intertwine to form a unique archive—a repository of stories and emotions that transcend time, a testament to the intimate link between memory and artistic expression. Her works serve as a contemporary archive, safeguarding forgotten memories and marginalized narratives, both honoring the past and holding a mirror to the present.
She is primarily based in Switzerland and currently working on research elements for various new projects and collaborations.