Chief Chair
The Chief-chair is for the Chief in the villages in Malawi and Zambia, amongst other African countries. They differ per village to village. Here you see 3 chief chairs of a different level. They raise 2 questions: Who do you allow to have a sit in your seat? But also: why are you going to sit in the seat which is clearly not meant for you?
dated 2018 until 2019
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"Chief Chair Shuffle"
2018
Here you see, far to the right, the specially ordered 'Big 167 Chief Chair' (amount of international NGO’s in Malawi) and to the far left you see the 'Big Six Chief Chair', which talks about the 6 multinational seed companies (taking over more and more small businesses, claiming copywrites and put structures in order to control this market more and more) and in the middle the 'Big Ten Chief Chair' (about the 10 food multinationals).
All 3 chairs are special ordered by the artist, in response to the chairs which are specially made for tourists, thinking they are buying something "originally African", which originally function as an attribute of power, as a tribal symbol and for a westerner a piece of ethnic art.
What is originally, or specific, African tradition culture, is shifting, raising the question: who do you allow having a sit on your chair and change your direction?
"Big 5" Chief Chair
2018
The "big five Chief-chair" seen at many "Africa tourist Art&Crafts markets", this one is in Lilongwe, Malawi. The artist bought it and brought it home to study it. In the near future it might / will become a part of an installation.
The Chief-chair is like a throne for the highest in hierarchy in the traditional village in Malawi (and Zambia) amongst other countries. Often they contain a male and female portrait, village scene, food and maybe a warrior. They differ per village to village.
The big five (Elephant / Rhino / Lion / Buffalow / Leopard) you see here is a theme that is specifically designed for the tourists and finally home they can be their own chief in their own thrown. Like the artist is sitting in it and is updating his website, but he aint a chief.
"Big 6" Chief Chair
2018
'The Big 6' chief chair.
Monsanto / DuPont / Syngenta / DOW / BAS-F / Bayer.
The big 6 chemical Multinationals selling seeds and controling more and more of this market. The artist also put Seed-Co there which states "The African Seed Company" but already 30% of the shares are taken over by a French company Limagrain (logo put on the left there). Like Monstanto took over Dekalb and Cargill and DuPont Pioneer and Pannar and Syngenta took over Zambian company MRI seeds.
These large companies (most of them with only chemical history) are pushing out local knowledge and idea’s, using African (already cultivated there) seeds, (genetically) modify them and put copywrite (and restrictions) on them (without paying for the use of the old knowledge), make the seeds hybrid what also means you can not multiply them as a farmer and force small farmers to also use the companies knowledge, pesticides / herbicides and fertilizers.
"Big 10" Chief Chair
2018
'The Big Ten' chief chair.
Unilever / Nestlé / Johnson&Johnson / Kraft-Heinz / Pepsico / General Mills / Mars / P&G / Kellogg's / Coca-Cola.
The big 10 food Multinationals.
Like the chief-chair is made specially for the chief, the 'big five' chair is purely made for tourists, this 'big ten' chief chair is specially designed and crated for another purpose, for an other kind of people or person.
"Big 167" Chief Chair
2018
"Big 167" Chief chair.
On the chair backrest is a selection of 15 largest out of 167 international NGO's working in Malawi, as registered on 30-11-2016 on www.congoma.mw (Paid up members at 30-11-2016).
Congoma (Council for Non Governmental Organisations in Malawi) is the umbrella body where NGO's (international and national) have to pay membership after they officially have been registered in Malawi.
The seats bottom text states:
A selection of NGO's working in Malawi
There were 543 registered NGO's, from which 167 international,
in Malawi (Southern Africa) on 30-11-2016.
Mahogany wood turned into art, which maybe "feels better" than it would have been 'turned into 'tourist kitsch'. The same tree will be planted, for every 2 chief chairs (1 tree provides wood for 2 seats), as a sign of good will.
"CHIEF CHAIR SHUFFLE"
2019
Chief Church Chair.
Here you see the Chief Church Chair and is special ordered by the artist, in response to the “Chief Chairs” which are specially made for tourists, thinking they are buying something "originally African", which originally function as an attribute of power, as a tribal symbol and for a westerner a piece of ethnic art.
What is originally, or specific, African tradition culture, is shifting, raising the question: who do you allow having a sit on your chair and change your direction? Also the Chief Chair might be a copy of a deckchair brought in by the first Missionaries from Europe, arriving in Africa, so the originality of the Chief Chair is doubted to be really African. Whereby in this case with the Chief Church Chair the originally of the Christian and other believes coming to Africa, taking over the original cult, cultures and believes, is discussed.