Gemuce / Pompílio Hilário
Money Crunch
Gemuce Pompílio Hilário is a drawing, painting, installation and video artist hailing from Maputo, Mozambique. His project Money Crunch took place from Oct – Dec 09, exploring personal debt in a local context while making analogies to the national debt crisis in Africa. Questioning the effects the spirit of consumption has on our daily lives, Gemuce confronted our incapacity to manage without money and explored how those who invented monetary exchange have become slaves to the power of global finance.
In Money Crunch he played on the ironies of Christmas and our notions of being good, while spending money and getting into debt. For this the artist has been appearing as a Santa coming from Africa, with a white local little helper (Norma Hunter). He started his project with a stall at Huntly's Halloween Hairst continental market underlining the absurdity of the increasingly early promotion of Christmas in the UK and the way it intervenes with other seasonal celebrations. Following this Gemuce alias Santa and his helper have had a number of appearances at public places that deal with money and giving: the Red Cross charity shop, the shopping train to Aberdeen and ASDA as well as local banks to name a few, through which our attitudes to buying, giving and money are being highlighted. People were asked a series of poignant questions by the team that lead to the generation of ideas about dealing with money and credit problems; in return they are given a credit card for the Calabash Bank.
Calabash Bank, the final artwork was launched in the Square during Huntly's Christmas celebrations on 10th December 2009 where people could cash in their ideas in return for calabashes
Shadow Curator: Iain Irving, Curator and Lecturer at Gray's School of Art and his students.
As part of the programme we hosted an Artist Breakfast: Why are artists poor? – Hans Abbing, author of the Why are artists poor? book has been in residence for one week in November 09. during this he gave an artist breakfast which was attended by ca 40 people. In the afternoon a workshop was hosted with Dalziel + Scullion, Roderick Buchanan, Eva Merz and Kenny Hunter on the issue of selling art. Moderator was Neil Jones, a business and communication consultant.
Gemuce undertook also a number of school workshops which are reported upon in his final report.
Gemuce trained as an artist in Kiev during the time of Soviet-socialist regime, his practice brings together his African roots with eastern European revolutionary imagery. His experience in Kiev has shaped his political and artistic approach, as an artist trained a propagandist arts tradition; he has transformed himself into an artist interested in paradox and dichotomy.
Calabash Bank Opening took place on Thursday 10 December 09,The Square, Huntly
Gallery Calabash Bank Opening Night
Video: Calabash Bank at The Square, Huntly
Video: Calabash Bank at Gordon Schools Careers Convention
Video: Calabash Bank at Red Cross Charity Shop
Video: Calabash Bank at Asda Supermarket
Video: Calabash Bank at Deans Shortbread Factory
