Simon Radebe - Soul Impulse

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The inevitable development in computers and mobile phones in this information or digital age offers a wide range of alternative channels for human communication. Not only has this shifted our perception towards information exchange but there are also no limitations for ideas and emotions to flourish. The so-called “emoji” characters in social media applications have become familiar expressive icons we usually incorporate in our text messages to translate and describe a particular meaning as far our thoughts, senses, emotions are concerned. These characters even go as far as replacing words.

Borrowing from the microscopic imagery of SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel Corona virus; COVID-19, I constructed the work “social impulse”. This sculptural representation investigates the emotional reaction that people around the world have had and continue to have towards the Covid-19 Pandemic. Social impulse, therefore, questions the authenticity and justice attached to such feelings as panic, pain, shock, anxiety, trauma, humour, laughter, and a mixture of all sorts of emotions we express in social media platforms.

By employing a combination of concrete and steel reinforcement, my work seeks re-emphasize the strength contained within us human beings. I have also considered the careful application of paint finish onto cement that is often exploited by the built industry to highlight the relationship we share with our immediate environment.