Elias Sime does it again

By Alemayehu Seife Selassie

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – When Elias Sime had his show last year, many called it the best show ever. With large grain container pieces made from mud and straw the art pieces were simply jaw dropping. Now even though some of the smaller pieces of that exhibition are still being exhibited in the United States Studio Museum, the large pieces are stored at the artistic curator Meskerem Aseged’s place. The pieces were not meant to be sold and they were just created by the artist that believes in art for art’s sake.
For such an artist, that has presented the largest piece ever, it would have naturally proved to be a challenge to come back with another unique piece. And this time the 115 goats that he has presented on the exhibition did just that. It has taken Elias over two years to come up with ‘Silicha’ a goat skin made for grain container.

“The most difficult task was finding the Silicha and for that, I had to recruit someone to go to the countryside and hunt for silichas”, he explains. It has taken the artist a lot of money to collect the silichas but he is overwhelmed by the result of his current work.
The different group of goat sacks ‘silichas’ sitting together appearing like they are group of people sitting in café, or two goat sacks sitting like a couple on a romantic hangout, makes the theme ‘love’ appear in a different light.

Presenting three different forms of art in his current show, the artist has depicted different elements in unique forms. The one element that he has preferred to use on this show is the goat skin while the other two are his previously started stitch art and corks art. The stitch art is one art that has taken this artist a long time. Using yarn as a paint this art was however very irresistible for the audience. The six art pieces that were presented on the opening of the show were sold above 5000 USD on Tuesday.
The choice of materials seems to have made this artist different from the rest and the new material that he has used on the latest exhibition is the bottle sealing can (corks). “We have all came across corks on our day-to-day lives.”

Coming to take a sneak preview of Elias Sime’s ‘What is Love’ exhibition and work along side the curator Meskerem Asseged, the internationally renowned art director Peter Sellars has set foot in Ethiopia last week. Stopping over after his trip to Congo Kinshasa and Kisangali the art director, made a five days stay in Ethiopia and found out that Elias’s work has gone beyond his imagination. “It was when I heard that this incredible artist exhibition was opening this week that I had to be here”, he said.

Developing the habit of having a sneak preview Peter has been keen to pop by an exhibiting artist’s place a few days before the actual show. “The most interesting thing for me is to come a week earlier and live with the art before it is open for the rest of the world”, he said. the director testifies that the sneak preview and working along side the curator has been an overwhelming experience for him and in his own words the five days of being at the exhibit has scored the peak of his most beautiful five days list.
After his interview with SSI the art director flew to Paris where he starts a new project with a Lebanese former journalist Amin Maluf to work on his coming book. The book by Amin Maluf is based on Europe’s failing to commit to its own ideals Liberty, Equality and Fraternity for they have come to colonize Africa. Amin’s book suggests that the EU has also failed to meet that ideal.

Music, dance, visual arts and more Peter Sellars is indulged by all forms of art. And having this art director come to Ethiopia to look at an Ethiopian artist’s work has been a rewarding experience. But he wanted to keep this trip a low profile and SSI was one of the only media that came to have a few words with him. On this interview he told us how his previous trip to Congo was like and how he came to know about the Ethiopian one of a kind artist Elias Sime.
“It is too late to talk about the most important two issues in the world today which are peace and the environment”. Peter speaks of the war torn town of Kissangali.
“I was focused more into Kisangali and for the past years having gone through wars, it is really a city of mortars, every single building has a bullet hole. What used to be five star hotels are now just shells that are filled with people squatting”.

But he states that the two years of peace seen in the city has brought hope for some young artists to form an art club. “Now people value peace and know how important it is.” The art director states that no one should talk about war as the people in Kisangali.
“There are a group of young artists who are beginning to form art centers it is a very moving time to be there. I wanted to be there right now so that I can begin to be involved in the coming few years.” He explains. And as to how Africa should be viewed by the rest of the world the art director said, “The most important thing is not to see Africa through the NGOs. But to see Africa speak with its own terms with its own images with its own words with its own wisdom as people have earned the right to speak. And right now so many of the people with microphone simply has not earned the right to speak.” The preaching of politicians such as French president Nicolas Sarkozy and US president George Bush coming to Africa and talking about rescuing Africa, is something peter calls ‘embarrassing’. “It should be from the opposite. The rest of the world needs to learn from Africa”, he states.
Knowing the limits is one important factor that the guest curator said is very important when it comes to developing the world. And one of the artists that inspiringly follows his limits is the Ethiopian artists Elias Sime.

How did Peter came to know Elias?
Working with the renowned artistic curator Meskerem Asseged in Vienna in 2006, and discussing the celebration of Mozart’s 150th anniversary, Peter has came to hear of an Ethiopian artistic personality. To work with her again on the current exhibition was something he was expecting to happen again.
“Meskerem was recommended to me by the curators at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, they say you have to meet this fiery, brilliant, surprisingly amazing person that breaks all the moulds and does original things unexpectedly making connections”, he remembers. When Meskerem Asseged herself came across the gifted artist Elias she had to take him along to present his works there in Vienna where he did a huge installation and shocked everybody.
“You cannot help yourself but be overwhelmed by the cultural palaces of the old crumbling European empire. In fact the ecological building materials -straw and mud (that Elias used at the show in Vienna) are what the Europeans are looking in to now in Europe. They are beginning to realize its properness. It is warm when it is cool it is cool when it is hot.” He said.

As far as making a memorable art is concerned Elias’s piece was really a jaw dropping one. The first part of the exhibition there was the visionary process of the future and the fact that one could smell it was one of the most beautiful parts of the African presence that the director found stunning. “It is not just in the head, it is in the air you can smell it, you can test it, it is wet you can touch it. it is a complete experience it is not just a concept art. It demands you whole body.” Peter said.
“Elias has the sheer Michael Angelo’s heroics, he does something that is unimaginable for most ordinary people. The act of commitment. First the vision then the follow through to realize it this is so unusual. We have seen a scale used in the past centuries again in the 20century. What is so beautiful with Elias is the work is stunning but never in excess. Always in proportion. And that is what art is about. It is about how everything fits with proportion.”

On this current exhibition one of the distinguishing art pieces that Elias has presented is the sewing art. And in reference to Elias’s work Peter said, “The sewn works are like the ones that are in ceilings of the great cathedrals. Even though no human eye will ever see them, somebody took the trouble to say God will know therefore it must be perfect”. The fine detail or perfection that is frequently beyond human perception is one of the aspects that makes Elias’s works unique. The sewn art works show what level of attention, concentration and inner focus has been implemented on the work.”
One other thing that Peter says is unique about Elias’s sewing art is it’s being dry canvas. “In one of the most dry places in the world you have to use dry paint and therefore you have to use yarn. I love that. His work is like a visual music there are a couple of his older themes of turtles, insects, insect eating plants. And what an incredibly matched title-‘What is Love”. Elias on his part states that the title befits the material he has picked for the show. “When you talk of love there are certain disappointments you expect many things and end up finding only some. There were times where I was expecting ten silichas and end up finding only three.” He adds, “When you sit the silicha in an up right position they appear as if they are reaching out to be hugged and their arms are wide open. They are very touchable and touching passes the spirit and feeling. When I first touched the silicha I shouted because it made me feel good. I was happy to have found a new material.”

For any spectator finding an art piece made from 105 dead goats is something unique. And the very fact that what Elias has done is collect the goat skins that used to be used for storing grain purchasing them from places where they now use plastic is amazing. But the goat skins that are stacked with straw has an embroidered outside that tells a story in its own. “You can tell the future from the insides of this goats and you can tell right away that this goats are in love. The way that they are physical with each other is very ironic and very touching and worm because these are all skins of living beings.” Peter explains. “The presence of death is right in the middle of this entertaining joyous celebration of love, this exhibition is very powerful. On the Quran it says on the last days, our bodies will testify everything that our mouth refuses to admit our bodies will testify, and the skins of the goats are turned inside out”. The writings on the skins makes one wonder that perhaps the goats are telling stories. And such elements makes the exhibition work on many different levels. “It is entertaining it is sexy at the same time it is metaphysical, spiritual and asks the questions of life and death. The exhibit show that there is a message from nature, nature wants to tell us something. The book of life is being written by nature everyday right in front of us and we still don’t know how to read it.” Peter explains.

For the artist, that always strives for new dimensions, repeating his previous work is not an option. And at times one even needs to remind him what he did last time. The one form of art that has stunned the audience is his largest piece –his house. “I like the maturity I see on the material. The red is turning in to brown.” But having not finished the house Elias has previously told SSI that if he is not in the mood he would probably demolish it. “I would still modify it every time. But I have to make a living as well and in order for me to do that I have to have a permanent resident. And for that I have carved a rock service quarter that is something I would not demolish. There are many people that end up living in a house they do not like. I like what I am building, I have not finished it and I am still modifying it. One day I would finish it someday.” But so long as selling his largest piece is concerned he simply said, “I do not want think about that now, one never knows.” The artist said. “In all my years that I came to Africa mostly what I see in buildings is badly built buildings. ou see something going up quickly cheaply with no care, quality and craftsmanship but something that would be disposable and something that will be ugly and is an insult everyday to the land to the people and to the country. For me Elias’s building is the most beautiful building in Africa. You feel the care the love the deeply felt sense that the built environment is secret. The place we live in reflects our aspiration our emotional life. When you go to Elias’s house the peace you feel the calm the joy comes from the quality of this artist to and the detail he has put to make something that goes for generations.” Peter said. “In most of the African buildings you can see it is just about money, people make the American mistake, got confused with profit and value. And so they make huge profit by making something of no value. And the result is valued bleeds out of our society and we are filled with valuelessness. Profit comes and goes value lasts for generations. Elias has given value to his children and grand children.”

Elias is one of a handful of master artists. When one looks at his works, it can not be confused by anyone else yet he never likes repeating himself. As opposed to many well known artists that get the look or a gesture and repeat that gesture all their life, Elias likes the hunt for new things more than the actual destination. “You can see the evolution of a body work that continues to be in motion”, Peter tells.
The infinite stitches Elias uses makes one wonder how many days and nights he has to spend on his work. And the artist states that the largest stitch art that stands over three meters tall and two and half meters long has taken him over three years working on and off. “In the stitch art you have all the rocks all the trees; you are in that part of life which can not be quantified. And Elias takes you there with his patience and his incredible care. And with in it he always adds a sense of humor. It is not sad or depressing; it has the most joyous feeling in the world.