[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]os Angeles based artist Ralph Ziman – aka Afrika 47 – has a new exhibit at The Rendon Gallery in the Arts District. L.A. Taco attended the opening of the exhibit called The Casspir Project, which features work inspired by Ziman's childhood in Johannesburg. Ziman's works draw from experiences growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa and "addresses human rights issues such as apartheid, the over-militarization of police, and state violence."
'The centerpiece of the exhibit is a massive Casspir military vehicle that Ziman has transformed into a work of art. During the Apartheid era, Casspirs were used weapons of terror, often used against civilians. Widely despised and feared, they became synonymous with violence, police intimidation, and institutional oppression. Post-Apartheid, many Casspirs were decommissioned, their hulls left to rust, a relic of the past better forgotten. Others were sold to the United States during the Iraq war years, and later, to local police forces.'
An unannounced change took effect on September 15, adding another layer of difficulty for thousands of families and lawyers trying to locate detained loved ones.
To quote the late and great MF DOOM: “If yer gonna hate, might as well get yer rumors straight.” Apt words when it comes to your L.A. team and its ownership group.
We are mourning the losses from NBC4 and Telemundo 52's recent helicopter crash, yet not asking the question: Is the benefit of in-air reporting worth the risk?
The chef is also cooking for the “Freedom From Famine Cassette Tape” listening party where proceeds will be split evenly between Khartoum Aid Kitchen in Sudan & Water Is Life Gaza.
