Udūqko

an Azanian word to describe the mystic qualities of the space upon the tops of mountains.

About

The symbol seen on the header page of this website is a cosmogram which describes a system in which all points of information are interconnected, except for one outlying string of data that exists outside the system. This outlying string is Uduqko.


Kamil Hassim, a South African artist of Indian descent, is a trans-disciplinary artist and musician known for his innovative work that blends art, science, and indigenous knowledge systems. He graduated from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, where he was awarded the 2019 Michaelis Prize for the most outstanding artist and the Simon Gerson prize, where he also attained a Masters.

Hassim's artistic practice is characterized by a deep engagement with the concept of space-time as a medium. He is fascinated by the interconnectedness of space and time and how they shape our reality, which he explores through his art. His approach is marked by a spiritual sensitivity, adjacent to indigenous Polynesian Wayfinding. For example, in his final Master's exhibition in 2022, titled "Improvisation and Healing," Hassim created a new musical instrument that explored cultural paradigms and interfaced with the cosmos through improvisational music and praxis of wayfinding.                       

One of his notable works, "Event Horizon," was an immersive installation at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. This exhibition played with constructed and deconstructed information, perception, and optical effects using defunct lenses used in astronomy. The work created a sensory experience exploring concepts related to black holes and the mysteries of the universe, using light projected in an old apartheid prison cell.

Hassim has also been recognized for his involvement in the 2022 Connect Africa Residency Award, which allowed him to travel to CERN in Switzerland. This experience was transformative for his practice, as he met leading physicists and scientists and witnessed cutting-edge experiments in particle physics. In 2023, Hassim is the artist in residence at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town. He plans to collaborate on a project that combines fundamental physics, modern African astronomy, and ancient indigenous cosmologies.

Hassim's work is deeply influenced by his upbringing in Durban and his experience of living in South Africa. He is aware of how colonialism suppressed indigenous knowledge systems and imposed Western epistemologies, leading to the loss of cultural heritage. His work aims to bridge these gaps, connecting people to the cosmos while acknowledging the importance of different cultural knowledge systems​